Category Archives: Loving / Kind

Compassionate, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Miracles, Seeking God

Jesus Has Compassion on Those Who Seek Him

Most of us who have followed after Jesus for any amount of time, have likely heard of the time He fed five thousand people with just a few loaves and fish. It is an amazing miracle and we should never take it for granted. However, it strikes me also that there is another lesson we should take note of in this event.

Jesus and the apostles were seeking a secluded place to be by themselves. John the Baptist had been killed, the apostles were returning to share about their journeys to preach the gospel, and there was clear intent to find quiet time. The people saw them and were so hungry for a shepherd in Jesus that they hurried there ahead of Jesus and the apostles.

How should Jesus react? Go somewhere else to find privacy and “me time”? Nope. Jesus felt compassion on them. He took time to teach them many things and ultimately this gathering became a great witness to the deity of Jesus through a fantastic miracle. Jesus is flexible and responsive to the needs of others! He truly loves those who seek Him! He will not turn them away.

Mark 6:30-44

    30The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

Five Thousand Fed

      33The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. 34When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. 35When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and it is already quite late; 36send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat?” 38And He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. 40They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. 42They all ate and were satisfied, 43and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. 44There were five thousand men who ate the loaves.

Do you truly seek Jesus as these people did? or do you take Him for granted? It is an honest question we should all ask ourselves from time to time. We should be hungry for a Good Shepherd and seek after Jesus, well beyond the point of inconvenience to our daily lives. When we do, He will not turn us away, but instead stop and engage with us. Our Lord loves those who truly seek after Him and feels compassion for them.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your compassion and love for those who seek You. Help me to feel a passion to seek You, that drives me past the distractions and busyness of this world. Let me not be content without a personal relationship with You. Help me trust You and pursue You and help me be teachable, willing to learn and change my ways to live more like You and Your instruction. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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, Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Loving / Kind, Miracles

Trust God Can Overcome Any Obstacle

We all go through difficult situations. Sometimes they may feel hopeless. However, we are reminded that nothing is too challenging for God. Mark 5 records two examples of miraculous healing Yeshua brought about during His earthly ministry. Cast your anxiety on the LORD and bring your problems before Him. Whether He heals you or not, know that He can and trust Him in any outcome.

Mark 5:21-43

Miracles and Healing

      21When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore. 22One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet 23and implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.” 24And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him.

      25A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 26and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— 27after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” 29Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” 31And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”

      35While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?” 36But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.” 37And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. 39And entering in, He said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.” 40They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was. 41Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. 43And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.

Both examples of healing showed great faith. That is a common characteristic of Yeshua’s miracles. I would not recommend trying to control God’s miraculous power as the woman with the hemorrhage did.  And even if you wanted to, I am not sure how that would work when Yeshua is not in human form in His earthly ministry.

It is always interesting to note when Yeshua downplays His miracles. He told people the girl was sleeping and gave strict orders no one should hear about the healing. Yeshua was not on a “healing mission”. He was on a “teaching mission”. He healed people out of compassion and as part of demonstrating that He was Messiah and fulfilling prophecy.

Do not judge God by whether or not you receive the outcome you desire. Remember Yeshua when He came before Yahweh in the garden of Gethsemane. He was fully submitted, even as He asked for the cup of suffering to be removed.

Matthew 26:39

     39And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for getting involved in our personal lives. Who are we that You should care about us? But You do! Help me remember that no matter what my problem may be, I can bring it before You and nothing is beyond Your ability to fix or use for Your purposes. Help me to trust You no matter what the outcome, even when You do not choose to do what I am asking. 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.

Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms

Sustained by Faith: Finding Joy in God’s Presence Amidst Adversity

Wherever you are in your walk with the Lord today, there is no doubt in my mind that you (and everyone else) have personally experienced suffering in this world. You have found yourself at times feeling overwhelmed with how to deal with the problems and people that oppose you and try to do harm to you. Let us cry out to God in faith… seek refuge in Him… and never be ashamed of Him for He will deliver us.

Psalm 31

      1In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Your righteousness deliver me.

      2Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.

      3For You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.

      4You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.

      5Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.

      6I hate those who regard vain idols,
But I trust in the LORD.

      7I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness,
Because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the troubles of my soul,

      8And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place.

      9Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.

      10For my life is spent with sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My strength has failed because of my iniquity,
And my body has wasted away.

      11Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach,
Especially to my neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.

      12I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.

      13For I have heard the slander of many,
Terror is on every side;
While they took counsel together against me,
They schemed to take away my life.

      14But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD,
I say, “You are my God.”

      15My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.

      16Make Your face to shine upon Your servant;
Save me in Your lovingkindness.

      17Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call upon You;
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.

      18Let the lying lips be mute,
Which speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.

      19How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men!

      20You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man;
You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.

      21Blessed be the LORD,
For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.

      22As for me, I said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried to You.

      23O love the LORD, all you His godly ones!
The LORD preserves the faithful
And fully recompenses the proud doer.

      24Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the LORD.

The older I get, and the more difficulties I face… the more I find joy in reading, studying, and praying the Psalms. David truly strikes an important note in verses 7-8.

      7I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness,
Because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the troubles of my soul,

      8And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy;

David rejoices and praises God for His lovingkindness even when his situation has not been resolved yet. David rejoices in that God has seen his affliction and knows what he is going through… that God sustains him through the difficulty.

This can be really difficult to do in our lives. Even in the midst of hard times, rejoice in God… rejoice in knowing that He is with us and understands what we face and that He can sustain us and deliver us.  What a powerful demonstration of faith to give glory to God while still in a difficult situation! I pray God would lead me to do the same as I encounter difficult situations in this fallen world. May I give Him praise and honor even as I lean on Him to sustain me through suffering and hardship.

What situations are you facing in your life  that you may find encouragement and joy in remembering that God is with you and understands what you are experiencing? He can sustain you and deliver you.

—-

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.

Father / Yahweh, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Submitted / Servant, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The Potters House: A Call to Submit to God’s Will

God is the potter and we are the clay. He fashions us for His purpose. Who are we to question Him any more than the pot is to question the potter who makes it. Instead of fighting or resisting God’s shaping us, let us embrace it and trust Him, even when it is hard.

Jeremiah 18

The Potter and the Clay

      1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying, 2“Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” 3Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. 4But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

      5Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, 6“Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. 7“At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; 8if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. 9“Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; 10if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. 11“So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.”’ 12“But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’

      13“Therefore thus says the LORD,
‘Ask now among the nations,
Who ever heard the like of this?
The virgin of Israel
Has done a most appalling thing.

      14‘Does the snow of Lebanon forsake the rock of the open country?
Or is the cold flowing water from a foreign land ever snatched away?

      15‘For My people have forgotten Me,
They burn incense to worthless gods
And they have stumbled from their ways,
From the ancient paths,
To walk in bypaths,
Not on a highway,

      16To make their land a desolation,
An object of perpetual hissing;
Everyone who passes by it will be astonished
And shake his head.

      17‘Like an east wind I will scatter them
Before the enemy;
I will show them My back and not My face
In the day of their calamity.’”

      18Then they said, “Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the sage, nor the divine word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with our tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words.”

      19Do give heed to me, O LORD,
And listen to what my opponents are saying!

      20Should good be repaid with evil?
For they have dug a pit for me.
Remember how I stood before You
To speak good on their behalf,
So as to turn away Your wrath from them.

      21Therefore, give their children over to famine
And deliver them up to the power of the sword;
And let their wives become childless and widowed.
Let their men also be smitten to death,
Their young men struck down by the sword in battle.

      22May an outcry be heard from their houses,
When You suddenly bring raiders upon them;
For they have dug a pit to capture me
And hidden snares for my feet.

      23Yet You, O LORD, know
All their deadly designs against me;
Do not forgive their iniquity
Or blot out their sin from Your sight.
But may they be overthrown before You;
Deal with them in the time of Your anger!

The key verses that I want to emphasize are 3-9:

 3Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. 4But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

Truly reflect on these. God can shape us however He desires. He may reshape us to fix flaws so we can better serve our intended purpose. When He reshapes us,

      5Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, 6“Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. 7“At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; 8if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. 9“Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; 10if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.

God will respond to His people when we turn to Him and away from evil. He will relent concerning calamity. He will also respond when His people turn away from Him toward evil. He will rethink the good He had intended for them.

Take this to heart personally and not just as a nation.

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.

Consequences of Sin, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Traditions / Holidays

The Ultimate Act of Love: Reflections on Memorial Day

As we recognize Memorial Day, it is a good time to reflect on and appreciate those who have laid down their lives for the rest of us to be able to live free in the United States of America. It is a good time to pray for those who are actively serving, have served, or are surviving family of those who have died in service to our country. God gave us this unique nation based on Judeo-Christian values and heritage. Many have served and died protecting it.

Yeshua demonstrated and taught that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for his friends. He laid down His life for all those who choose to follow Him and submit to Him. We can be thankful for sure that our sins can be forgiven because of Him. We could never pay that debt.

Yeshua also encouraged His disciples to show this kind of love for one another as well… to lay down their life for one another. So, too, are we encouraged to lay down our lives for one another. At times, we may face a situation where we literally must make that choice in an instant. Other times we lay down our lives by how we live for others rather than living for ourselves.

As we read, we should not overlook that Yeshua said that “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” This is clearly important, but a different context in our relationship with Him vs. relationships with each other that we may consider friends. We should obey Yeshua to be His “friend”. We do not need to obey each other to be friends.

John 15:12-17

Disciples’ Relation to Each Other

12“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14“You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17“This I command you, that you love one another.

Take time to pray for those who risk their lives or lose them for others. Pray also for their families. Of course, not everyone in uniform is righteous or acts with righteous motives, but many have sacrificed none the less to protect our country and our freedom. Pray also for the leadership in our government so that they would lead well and not recklessly. Further, pray for the people of our nation that they would hold in high regard those that serve to protect our nation and risk their lives to do so.

Take time to also pause and reflect on our Savior, Yeshua, who laid down his life for us so we could be forgiven and reconciled with the Father. Give thanks to him. Do not let that offer be wasted. Rather, submit to him, turn from your sin, and seek him. Let him be Lord of your life. You will find greater joy and peace in this world and after.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You that You sent Yeshua to lay down His life for me, so that I could be forgiven and reconciled to You. Thank You for the people that have sacrificed personally to protect and build up our nation as a free nation built on individual liberty and not dominated by tyrants or a ruling class that controls the people. Please help protect and maintain that nation based on Your principles and ideals from those who would change it for something else, like socialism or simply giving up more and more individual freedom to government control. Please raise up the righteous and bring restoration to the land that we would be a light for the world to bring You glory. 

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.

Discipline / Guidance From God, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin

Do Not Blame God When He Disciplines His People

God will at times discipline His people severely for turning from Him and following false gods and man’s ways. Many often struggle then with God because he provides discipline. Surely He has given plenty of opportunity for grace and mercy, but still, His people disobey. Even as they call upon His name, the continue in their disobedience in that they have not repented of what they are doing wrong.

Take care not to blame God for being harsh when He disciplines His people. Do we not discipline our children when they disobey continually? We do it because we love and care for them. I do not discipline someone else’s children, but my own.  Do not blame the parents for discipline, but the children for disobedience.

Do we not hold criminals accountable with what may seem like harsh punishments? Do not blame those arresting and convicting the criminals, but rather blame the criminals who break the law.

Jeremiah 14

Drought and a Prayer for Mercy

      1That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah in regard to the drought:

      2“Judah mourns
And her gates languish;
They sit on the ground in mourning,
And the cry of Jerusalem has ascended.

      3“Their nobles have sent their servants for water;
They have come to the cisterns and found no water.
They have returned with their vessels empty;
They have been put to shame and humiliated,
And they cover their heads.

      4“Because the ground is cracked,
For there has been no rain on the land;
The farmers have been put to shame,
They have covered their heads.

      5“For even the doe in the field has given birth only to abandon her young,
Because there is no grass.

      6“The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;
They pant for air like jackals,
Their eyes fail
For there is no vegetation.

      7“Although our iniquities testify against us,
O LORD, act for Your name’s sake!
Truly our apostasies have been many,
We have sinned against You.

      8“O Hope of Israel,
Its Savior in time of distress,
Why are You like a stranger in the land
Or like a traveler who has pitched his tent for the night?

      9“Why are You like a man dismayed,
Like a mighty man who cannot save?
Yet You are in our midst, O LORD,
And we are called by Your name;
Do not forsake us!”

      10Thus says the LORD to this people, “Even so they have loved to wander; they have not kept their feet in check. Therefore the LORD does not accept them; now He will remember their iniquity and call their sins to account.” 11So the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12“When they fast, I am not going to listen to their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I am not going to accept them. Rather I am going to make an end of them by the sword, famine and pestilence.”

False Prophets

      13But, “Ah, Lord GOD!” I said, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword nor will you have famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’” 14Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds. 15“Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, although it was not I who sent them—yet they keep saying, ‘There will be no sword or famine in this land’—by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end! 16“The people also to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and there will be no one to bury them—neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters—for I will pour out their own wickedness on them.

      17“You will say this word to them,
‘Let my eyes flow down with tears night and day,
And let them not cease;
For the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow,
With a sorely infected wound.

      18‘If I go out to the country,
Behold, those slain with the sword!
Or if I enter the city,
Behold, diseases of famine!
For both prophet and priest
Have gone roving about in the land that they do not know.’”

      19Have You completely rejected Judah?
Or have You loathed Zion?
Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing?
We waited for peace, but nothing good came;
And for a time of healing, but behold, terror!

      20We know our wickedness, O LORD,
The iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You.

      21Do not despise us, for Your own name’s sake;
Do not disgrace the throne of Your glory;
Remember and do not annul Your covenant with us.

      22Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain?
Or can the heavens grant showers?
Is it not You, O LORD our God?
Therefore we hope in You,
For You are the one who has done all these things.

We also get a fresh reminder that not everyone who claims to bring a message in God’s name is speaking for Him. This may be prophets, pastors, or any others.

In all this, however, the right answer is still to repent and seek God, asking for mercy… but admitting your wrongdoing.

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

Grace / Forgiveness, Loving / Kind, Peace / Rest

Our Authority Comes from God, Not Man

Paul was always clear from whom his authority originated as an apostle. It was never from men. It was from God. Having a firm grasp on this is so important for pastors and others in authority within the church. Knowing whom we serve and from whom our authority comes makes it much clearer whom we should seek to please. We should not worry over how many people fill the seats of our church or “like” us on social media. It is not that you can’t use that as a reference for reaching an audience, but be careful not to judge your success that way, lest you be drawn to serve men instead of God by telling them what they want to hear instead of what God wants you to share.

I also appreciate that as Paul opens his letter to Galatians, he puts emphasis on the grace and peace characteristic of a healthy relationship with God. We are drawn immediately to focus on the purpose of the death and resurrection of Christ and to whom the glory is due.

What a wonderful way to launch a letter engaging brothers and sisters in Christ.

Galatians 1:1-5

Introduction

     1Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), 2and all the brethren who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:

      3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

Let us challenge ourselves to remember that authority comes from the Father. He is the one whom we should please. He is the one who brings grace and peace.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Love, Loving / Kind, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin

We Only Discipline and Rebuke Those We Love

It may not always be intuitive, but it makes perfect sense if you think about it. Whether we are talking about Yahweh or brothers and sisters in Christ, we only discipline and rebuke the ones we love. Think about your own situation. How often do you reprove or discipline a stranger? It is much more often we will reprove friends or family… brothers and sisters in Christ, or our own spouse or children. It is the same with Yahweh.

Hebrews 12

    6FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”

Revelation 3:19

19‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

There is little point reproving a mocker or a fool. They will not learn.

Proverbs 9:8

     8Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love you.

With this in mind we can certainly appreciate the spirit in which Paul wrote 2 Corinthians. His desire was to help those he loved, brothers and sisters in Christ, who were struggling to hold tightly to correct teaching and application of that teaching in their lives. Paul wished to help them now, by the letter, so he could rejoice with them when he visited… rather than spending his visit rebuking them firmly.

2 Corinthians 13

Examine Yourselves

     1This is the third time I am coming to you. EVERY FACT IS TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES. 2I have previously said when present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest as well, that if I come again I will not spare anyone, 3since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. 4For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.

      5Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? 6But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test. 7Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. 8For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. 9For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be made complete. 10For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I need not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.

      11Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13All the saints greet you.

      14The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

I appreciate that even when Paul was being firm and direct, he did so in a way that demonstrated love. He never changed God’s instructions, but he could identify with the people he was leading and teaching. Even as he reproved them, he encouraged them and reminded them lovingly of the truth of the gospel. I suppose I also appreciate that Paul points to all three members of the trinity in his closing, each playing a crucial role in the life of a believer.

We would do well to pray for the Spirit’s help to reprove others as effectively as Paul did… both firm and loving and never compromising.

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.

Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

Understanding how much God loves us is best put in perspective in that Jesus Christ died for us, for our sin… so that we could be made right before God. Nothing can separate us from His love except if we choose to reject His offer of salvation through grace and therefore reject a right relationship with God.

Romans 8:31-39

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[o]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[p] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Nothing can separate us from the overwhelming love God has for each of us, unless we turn our backs on God and choose not to accept Him. All we have to do is to come before God with humility, ask His forgiveness through grace, repent of our sinful nature, and seek God wholeheartedly as we ask Jesus to be lord of our life.

If you have not done this in your life… now is a great time to do it.  Take a few moments to come humbly before God. He is always available with no waiting required.

Read more about accepting Yeshua as LORD, The Message of the Cross. 

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, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Submitted / Servant

Break the Cycle, Remain Focused on God at All Times

God’s people can often get distracted and lose focus on Him. At times, ungodly nations or forces may have power and authority over God’s people, but God is always able to clear them away in His timing. It is good to recall at all times the mercy and lovingkindness of the LORD. When we don’t, even if the LORD delivers us from the nations, we still end up with rebellion against Him. When His people rebel, God is not going to bless them. Rather, He will be against them. Then the people remember Him and all that He has done for them. Then they return.

How awesome if we could adjust this cycle and just remember the goodness of God all the time. It seems very hard to do it as a nation, but perhaps first we each need to seek to do so as individuals.

Isaiah 63

God’s Vengeance on the Nations

1Who is this who comes from Edom,
With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah,
This One who is majestic in His apparel,
Marching in the greatness of His strength?
“It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”

      2Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?

      3“I have trodden the wine trough alone,
And from the peoples there was no man with Me.
I also trod them in My anger
And trampled them in My wrath;
And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,
And I stained all My raiment.

      4“For the day of vengeance was in My heart,
And My year of redemption has come.

      5“I looked, and there was no one to help,
And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold;
So My own arm brought salvation to Me,
And My wrath upheld Me.

      6“I trod down the peoples in My anger
And made them drunk in My wrath,
And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

God’s Ancient Mercies Recalled

7I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD,
According to all that the LORD has granted us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has granted them according to His compassion
And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses.

      8For He said, “Surely, they are My people,
Sons who will not deal falsely.”
So He became their Savior.

      9In all their affliction He was afflicted,
And the angel of His presence saved them;
In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them,
And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.

      10But they rebelled
And grieved His Holy Spirit;
Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy,
He fought against them.

      11Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses.
Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock?
Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them,

      12Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses,
Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name,

      13Who led them through the depths?
Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble;

      14As the cattle which go down into the valley,
The Spirit of the LORD gave them rest.
So You led Your people,
To make for Yourself a glorious name.

“You Are Our Father”

15Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious habitation;
Where are Your zeal and Your mighty deeds?
The stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me.

      16For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us
And Israel does not recognize us.
You, O LORD, are our Father,
Our Redeemer from of old is Your name.

      17Why, O LORD, do You cause us to stray from Your ways
And harden our heart from fearing You?
Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.

      18Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for a little while,
Our adversaries have trodden it down.

      19We have become like those over whom You have never ruled,
Like those who were not called by Your name.

Be intentional to reflect on all God has done for His people and specifically for you. Keep on praising God. Stay focused on Him. We don’t have to turn from Him and experience His displeasure in order to find Him again. We can pursue Him now!

Spend a few minutes in prayer thanking God for all He has done for His people and for you. Submit to follow His will and His instruction in your life. Give Him praise.

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.