Category Archives: Character of God

Faith / Trusting God, Heaven and Hell, Promises

God Will Do What He Says… Every Time… In His Timing

Do you find that you sometimes struggle to believe in the promises of God? I know we all want to jump to say “not me”, but truly it can be a challenge at times as we face real life difficulty and trials. Often God’s timing is not our timing. We wish for a microwave solution to fix something or deliver a promise right away, but God may have a different plan in mind. He may be preparing us in a crock pot instead of a microwave… it takes longer, but the end result is much better.

Let us look to Joseph, a righteous man indeed, who trusted God through many difficulties in his life. As Joseph faced death, he was not bitter or angry or afraid. He did not count up his years of life and complain that they were shorter than his brothers, who were not as faithful to God.  He was peaceful and calm. He began to think of others who would remain behind him and how to help them. He believed in God’s promises even when they were not fulfilled in his lifetime and encouraged others to trust in God as well.

Genesis 50:22-26

Death of Joseph

      22Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. 23Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees. 24Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.” 25Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

All of us will face death. Joseph was prepared in his relationship with God for what would come next. We should be asking ourselves much earlier than our death beds if we are prepared as well. The day will come and we know not when. Joseph trusted in God’s promises even when he could not see them fulfilled yet. We should follow his example!

In what areas of your life are you doubting God’s promises revealed in the Bible? Are you having doubts about specific promises you feel He has spoken to you in your life? Study the scriptures, seek God humbly in prayer, submit your life to Him and transform your life to obey His commands… all of them. Trust in Him to fulfill His promises.

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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.

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness

Can You Really Forgive Me? Can I forgive myself?

Many have difficulty forgiving others for what they have done wrong or at times even just what they have done different from expectations… even though it is not wrong. Many of these same people bear a burden of guilt because they can not forgive themselves for their past mistakes either. They do not know how to forgive or accept forgiveness.

They may hold bitterness and unforgiveness in their hearts toward many around them for perceived wrongs or actual wrongs they received. It eats them up inside and suffocates their joy. We see some insight into this area in Genesis 50 whereby Joseph’s brothers, after many years, still can not grasp that Joseph holds no grudge. He has truly forgiven them.

Genesis 50:12-21

Burial at Machpelah

      12Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them; 13for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite. 14After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

      15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, 17‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21“So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

There were many injustices done to Joseph in his life and they were significant. However, Joseph walked with God. He learned to forgive others through his relationship with God. He did not hold grudges. He set himself apart from the normal expected behavior of others to be ready for God’s use… to be holy.

Are you experiencing difficulty forgiving yourself or forgiving others? Do you carry around a burden of guilt for your past mistakes? Humbly come before Jesus Christ. Admit that you are a sinner and you have done wrong. Do not make excuses or rationalize why you were not really wrong. Ask Jesus to forgive you. Turn from the wrong behaviors and turn your attitude and behaviors toward those of God.

Isaiah 1:18-20

      18“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.

      19“If you consent and obey,
You will eat the best of the land;

      20“But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be devoured by the sword.”
Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

 Then accept the forgiveness He offers! But you must submit to Jesus as Lord. It is not enough to know who He is or believe He exists. Even Satan and demons do that! You must obey God in His commands… that is what it means to submit to Him. To say I “believe” in God, but to change nothing in your lifestyle is to reveal empty words. True belief is active and affects our choices… both behaviors and attitudes. Since I believe in gravity, I will not step off a roof. Since I believe in God, I will obey His commands in my life rather than doing things my way… and that requires visible change.

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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.

Character of God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Parables, Sin

Why Does God Allow Sin? Why Does It Separate Us From God?

“Why does God allow sin?”  “Why does sin separate us from God?”

These are two common questions that people struggle with as they try to reconcile a loving God with a fallen world, filled with sin and selfishness and evil. We could explore this topic in several ways. One approach would be to conduct a detailed Bible study and try to explain verse by verse. That is actually an excellent exercise for these topics and I have done that before. I encourage each of you to do the same. As a starting foundation, we should explain that sin refers to “missing the mark”, or falling short of doing things God’s way. We sin when we do things our way instead of God’s way.

For today, let us approach it in parable format as Jesus did many times throughout His ministry to help people more plainly understand key principles on terms they are familiar with.

There was a man who wanted a dog. To begin with, he thought about how easy it would be if only he could find one that would obey perfectly and not create any trouble for him. He found a robotic dog. At first the robotic dog seemed interesting but his interest soon fell. It was not satisfying. It did everything just as it was directed. It had perfect obedience but no free will. It did not obey because it loved the master, it simply obeyed because it could do nothing else. The master soon tired of the toy, it could not love him. There was no satisfaction in it, no real relationship.

Next the man purchased two puppies. Both puppies inherently did not understand the rules of the house at first. In fact, left to their own devices they were quite destructive… constantly chewing things that should not be chewed and “pottying” where they should not. Neither obeyed their master. He quickly found that their disobedient behavior necessarily created a need for separation from Him, even though He loved them so he placed them outside in his yard. He knew that left on their own, they would never learn correct behavior…they were unable to teach themselves. He loved them so he worked tirelessly to train them daily. He yearned to find a way to remove the separation between the dogs outside and himself in the house. Over time, one puppy learned to obey. It followed the rules and did what the master asked. The master rejoiced and brought that puppy inside the house where it was constantly with him and their relationship thrived. The puppy had learned to obey and to show love for the master and thus was brought into closer relationship with the master. The second puppy refused to obey. It rebelled against the master, even growling at him or trying to bite him. He still loved the second dog, but the dog’s behavior continued to create a need for separation from the master. The master tried tirelessly and yearned for the second dog to submit and obey so they could be closer, but it refused.

Whose fault is it that the second dog remained separated from the master? Was it the master because he set rules forth to determine what is good and bad? or the dog’s because it continued to refuse the master and instead chose to do what is bad?

The master is God. The robot dog represents why He gave us a free will… so their could be love… so we could choose Him. Which of us would choose to love a computer that does all we ask because it must? Which of us love others even when they choose to disobey or do harm to us at times? The first real dog is the wise person that hears the master’s voice, listens and obeys… doing things the master’s way. The second real dog represents those who remain in rebellion to God…creating by their actions a need for separation from Him. The master yearned for the second dog to “repent” and had made a way for it to be in relationship with him, but the dog refused. How foolish to blame the master for the separation caused by sin.

To think of it another way… let us consider our wonderful dessert, pick your favorite, but for this story we will call it a piece of chocolate cake. We know exactly what we want in this cake, and may even have a strong desire to enjoy it. What now, if I told you that the cake has small amount of poop in it? Do you still want the cake? It is only a small amount of contaminant. Of course we don’t want it! So it is with God when we sin. He wants to be near to us, but even a little sin is ugly and can contaminate the whole such that we can not choose to enjoy it and be close. It makes no more sense for us to insist that God should be close to those who reject Him and His commands than to insist that we would want to eat the contaminated dessert.

I know that these are perhaps simple examples, but we should not put the emphasis on blaming God that we can not be close to Him when we live in sin, rejecting His commands. Instead, we should put the emphasis on ourselves and our behavior and attitudes as the cause of separation from God. Come humbly before Jesus Christ, ask forgiveness, change our behaviors to be more like His commands as best we can. He will help! Submit our lives to be more like Jesus and He will cleanse us of our sins by way of His death on the cross.  We are a new creation in Christ and can be reconciled to the Master and dwell closely with Him in this life and again in Heaven after we die. Praise God that He made a way to make us clean!

2 Corinthians 5:17-19

17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

In what areas is God speaking to you that you need to make changes in your life to obey His commands rather than rebelling against them? What steps can you take even this week to start moving closer to God in obedience to His word?

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.

Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Salvation, Suffering / Adversity, Trinity

Where I Go, You Cannot Follow Me Now; But You Will Follow Later

When someone we love tells us they are leaving, perhaps dying, we generally find ourselves dealing with a strong emotional response. We don’t want them to go. We want to be with them. We want to see them again. So it was with Jesus’ disciples when Jesus told them, again, that He was going to be betrayed by one of their close circle of disciples and then die.

John 13:36

 36Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.”

While it must have been encouraging to hear that they could follow later, there is not doubt it was an emotional moment for Jesus and His disciples. But Jesus loves all of us who follow Him so much, He saw fit to encourage us as we continue to deal with the struggles and difficulties of this world and what seems at times like a world bound and determined to reject the one, true God at every turn. The direction Jesus gave His disciples applies to His followers today as well. He reassured us how to follow where He went.

John 14:1-6

1“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4“And you know the way where I am going.” 5Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

It is amazing to me how so many want to rationalize that “all religions” can be equal paths to heaven and to living for God. This concept is born out of ignorance or outright denial of what most religions teach. Certainly when it comes to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam they all clearly identify that they are mutually exclusive. (In other words, they all identify the others as false religion.) Yet people insist on believing Satan’s lie that somehow all paths can lead to God.

For any who genuinely submit to Jesus, He was clear. You can not accept Jesus as God and rationally also deny what He taught…. that He is the only way to the Father, to heaven. “No one comes to the Father but through Me.” He taught similar principles elsewhere throughout scripture as well.

Matthew 7:13

13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Jesus clearly taught that most people, sadly, reject God and follow the wrong path. Most people do not find their way to God or to heaven. Only those few who genuinely follow and submit to Jesus will make it to rejoice with Jesus in heaven. All others will find themselves in a tortuous and miserable existence of their own choosing… hell.

Many who claim to follow Jesus do not really follow Him. They go to church and say His name, but they have not transformed their lives to submit to and follow Him. They live for the world and drop His name every once in awhile… this will not be enough.

Matthew 7:21-23

 21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

We do not rejoice in knowing that most will end in hell. Quite the opposite. This knowledge should motivate true followers of Christ to demonstrate the love of Jesus and the truth of God’s word to others with a sense of urgency and importance that transcends the daily activities we engage in during our daily lives. We do not show love by staying silent and accepting political correctness or condoning the sinful behaviors of others. We show love by proclaiming the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ! How can people follow Jesus, truly, if the truth is not taught clearly?

Romans 10:14-15

14How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”

Pray God would strengthen your courage to proclaim Him boldly. Prepare by studying the word humbling yourself in prayer daily.  Make sure that you are a disciple, a learner, following behind Christ so that you can lead others as well.

Please consider reading the following teachings to help yourself get started on the path as a disciple:

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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.

Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Patience, Promises

Trust God’s Timing To Fulfill His Promises

I count myself blessed to have a meaningful personal relationship with my Lord and Savior. That certainly does not mean I have all the answers or get everything right… far from it! I still do things I wish not to do and sometimes fail to do those things I should do. However, I have had the opportunity to hear from God through the Holy Spirit on more than a few occasions. I have not experienced angels, visions, or burning bushes… but God has none the less revealed very personal application of His word to my life at different points in my life.

I can usually point back to specific areas of prayer in which I can see Him answering, though it is almost never as fast as I might prefer. God’s timing is different than our timing. I am learning more and more to trust His timing over my own desires for a quick answer. So often today we expect everything instantly or we lose patience. Internet is not fast enough! Really… can any prior generation even claim to have imagined what amazing technology we have today? Microwave takes too long? Really? Think about it in context of the world history. We really have become impatient. I once found myself starting to get frustrated that an email took a few minutes to reach someone on another continent… as I spoke with them on the phone. Truly that is incredible and we have learned to take it for granted.

God has the wisdom to know that He is often doing more than just answering our question or fulfilling a promise He made to us. He is preparing us so we are ready for what comes ahead. Think of God like a master chef and we are the dish He is preparing. He knows what He is preparing us for and He takes His time doing so. He cooks with a crock pot rather than a microwave oven. It takes longer, but it tastes so much better when it is ready! And God always starts early enough when He is working with us, so He always finishes on time.

Let us take a look back at a promise God made to Jacob in Genesis.

Genesis 28:14-15  14“Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

God promised Jacob his descendants would be like the dust of the earth in number! Now, as Jacob is approaching his death, we can check the progress report on how big his household has grown.

 Genesis 46:8-34

Those Who Came to Egypt

      8Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. 9The sons of Reuben: Hanoch and Pallu and Hezron and Carmi. 10The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 12The sons of Judah: Er and Onan and Shelah and Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13The sons of Issachar: Tola and Puvvah and Iob and Shimron. 14The sons of Zebulun: Sered and Elon and Jahleel. 15These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah; all his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three. 16The sons of Gad: Ziphion and Haggi, Shuni and Ezbon, Eri and Arodi and Areli. 17The sons of Asher: Imnah and Ishvah and Ishvi and Beriah and their sister Serah. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. 18These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah; and she bore to Jacob these sixteen persons. 19The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 20Now to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. 21The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Becher and Ashbel, Gera and Naaman, Ehi and Rosh, Muppim and Huppim and Ard. 22These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob; there were fourteen persons in all. 23The sons of Dan: Hushim. 24The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel and Guni and Jezer and Shillem. 25These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and she bore these to Jacob; there were seven persons in all. 26All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob’s sons, were sixty-six persons in all, 27and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy.

      28Now he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out the way before him to Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. 29Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; as soon as he appeared before him, he fell on his neck and wept on his neck a long time. 30Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.” 31Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me; 32and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock; and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 33“When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ that you may live in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians.”

As Jacob goes to Egypt, nearing the end of his life, the count of all his household combined numbers only 70 people.  God indeed fulfills His promise to Jacob, but does so in His own timing. God is not in a hurry. He is always on time. We just need to learn to trust the master chef, be more patient as we wait on God, and count ourselves blessed that our Creator loves us so much that He even personally guides and directs us on our path through life.

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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.

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Set Free From Slavery To Sin

Have you ever found yourself continually repeating the same wrong behavior or thoughts even though you know it is a mistake… a sin? Do you feel powerless to break free of temptation and stop the behavior or sinful thoughts? Often the guilt makes it feel even worse because we can not imagine that we can be forgiven. There is no way out.

The good news is that Jesus died for us for just that reason… so we could be brought into right relationship with God even though we have sinned and made mistakes! Praise God for coming down as Jesus to walk among us and suffer punishment on our behalf.  Thank you God! Our Lord and Creator does not forget us… He made us. Rejoice that He has redeemed us from our sin through the death of Jesus Christ! By submitting to Him and asking forgiveness He can set us free from bondage to sin.

John 8:34-36

  34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35“The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Isaiah 44:21-23

21“Remember these things, O Jacob,
And Israel, for you are My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant,
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.

22“I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud
And your sins like a heavy mist.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

23Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done it!
Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it;
For the LORD has redeemed Jacob
And in Israel He shows forth His glory.

Thank you God for creating a way for us to be set free from bondage to sin, forgiven and reconciled to 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.

Family, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Grace / Patience, Revenge

Peace Through Patience, Wisdom, and Forgiveness

Joseph demonstrates an amazing amount of patience, wisdom, and forgiveness in managing his meeting with his brothers when they return to Egypt with Benjamin. It was emotionally a stirring moment for Joseph to see Benjamin again… so much so that he had to leave to gather control of his emotional response. Further, he continues to not let on to his brothers who he is, even as they fulfill again the dreams given to him by God in his youth by bowing down before him.

Joseph desires to test his brothers to see if they have changed from their evil ways so long ago when they sold him into slavery. He avoids the emotional response of revenge to just hurt them. He avoids even rejoicing publically at seeing Benjamin. He avoids what must have been temptation to gloat or boast in the fulfillment of the dreams he shared with them so long ago. Instead, Joseph demonstrates wisdom and patience in continuing in a very intentional way to manage the reunion with his brothers. He seeks to test them.

Genesis 43:16-34

Joseph Sees Benjamin

      16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, “Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys.” 19So they came near to Joseph’s house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, 20and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, 21and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full. So we have brought it back in our hand. 22“We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23He said, “Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder. 25So they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.

      26When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him. 27Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, “Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” They bowed down in homage. 29As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” 30Joseph hurried out for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there. 31Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, “Serve the meal.” 32So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians. 33Now they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. 34He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

It is often tempting to respond just based on our emotions to every situation that presents itself. However, this is not always the best course. We should take care to be intentional and thoughtful in how we respond to situations such as the one Joseph encounters in Genesis 43. Measure our response with patience, wisdom, and forgiveness.

More and more I come to realize as well the value of pausing to seek God on specific situations in my life. He cares about the details of our lives as a father cares for his children! The more I am able to avoid quick, almost instinctive responses… the more thoughtfully and prayerfully I consider key decisions… the more I am able to live consistently with God’s word. I pray God gives me the patience, wisdom, and forgiveness that Joseph demonstrated in dealing with being reunited with his family after much tragedy and hurt in his past.

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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.

medium tile for posts

Heaven and Hell, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Salvation, Share the Good News

The Building Is On Fire, We Must Warn Others!

Imagine for a moment that you are working in or visiting a large building complex with many people. Everyone is going about doing every day tasks, completely unaware that a fire rages within the building complex. Some see the smoke and recognize the coming peril. They try to warn others, but many do not want to hear it. They are busy. They do not believe the building is on fire. They mock and discourage those who are trying to warn everyone. They ignore even the fire alarm, assuming it is a drill, malfunction, or prank.

You are a fool. We don’t believe you.

You are just trying to ruin our day and make our life difficult.

The God I believe in would not allow fires in buildings with people.

If it is on fire, leave yourself then. Quit bothering us.

A few listen, heed the warning and consider the danger… eyes opened to the smoke they begin to try to save others or just run out of the building themselves.

The first reaction many of us have is that this is silly. It would never happen. Of course people would heed the warning. But there is a much greater danger for all of those who do not yet accept the truth of Jesus Christ as God… an eternity of suffering in Hell for rejecting Jesus Christ. Many who serve Jesus Christ are and have been for centuries trying to warn others about the impending danger. We are mocked, persecuted, and sometimes killed for our effort. We are seldom welcomed with open arms and thanked for bringing the good news of the gospel… of salvation through Jesus Christ. Sometimes it is even the church itself that is persecuting those who bring the true message of the gospel to the people. There are countless examples including the religious leaders of Israel and the Catholic church over many centuries.

The message of Christ is at once very simple such that a child can understand it, and yet very difficult in that we must change to move away from our sinful ways of doing things our way and turn toward Jesus and doing things God’s way. (Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.)

No matter the suffering or risk to ourselves as followers of Jesus, He wants us to tell everyone about the truth of the gospel! We know this because of how Jesus lived out His earthly ministry and how His disciples lived and died to share the gospel after Jesus had returned to Heaven. Jesus made a point of highlighting this, not as a request, but as a command, to His disciples and the command is still in effect for all true followers of Jesus Christ today.

Mark 16:15 15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

Many have become complacent about the urgency of sharing the gospel.

Christ has not returned yet in judgment, perhaps He never will.

Maybe all will go to Heaven because God loves us.

Yet Peter highlights to us even thousands of years ago the flaw in that thinking. God is patient. His timing is not our timing. But, the end will come and will come suddenly. Those who are not prepared will end up in Hell for eternity due to their rejection of Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:9-11 9The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Consider from a slightly different perspective as well. Although the end of the age has not come and Jesus has not returned in judgment as yet, countless generations of people have died and most of them did not know when they would die ahead of time. We must be prepared in accepting and submitting to Christ wholeheartedly before our time on this earth ends either by our death or by Jesus’ return.

Our Lord commands us to tell as many as we can about the salvation He offers through faith, by grace. He does not ask us to do so “if convenient”. He commands us to go to all the world… decidedly loving and sacrificial, but certainly not convenient.

If we picture ourselves back in the opening story… in a building complex that was on fire. Would we just leave quietly? Would we not tell others? How much more so should we be urgently proclaiming the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ when the eternal salvation or damnation of people’s souls are at stake!

Study God’s word daily. Pray humbly before God daily. Ask Him to prepare you and prepare people to hear the message when you share it. Pray as Peter and John did that God would give you the boldness to proclaim the gospel in all situations to all audiences everywhere around the world.

Acts 4:23-31

23When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM,

25who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,
‘WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE,
AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS?

      26‘THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK THEIR STAND,
AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER
AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.’

27“For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. 29“And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, 30while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” 31And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

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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.

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Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Merciful, Prophecy, Revenge, Righteousness / Serving God

Now That You Have The Power, What Will You Do?

In all your life, whom do you think has wronged you more than any other? Have you ever wished to be in a position of power and influence over them? If so, why? Have you really considered what you would do?

Often what people seek is revenge, or “getting even”. They seek to hurt those who have hurt them. That is not what God wants from us… to hurt someone else with a spirit of selfishness and hunger for revenge. Joseph found himself in just such a situation and it was very emotional for him. He had to decide how to respond when he suddenly had the power of life and death over his brothers, who had years before sold him into slavery.

Genesis 42:1-28

Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

      1Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.” 3Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm may befall him.” 5So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

      6Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

      8But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. 9Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.” 10Then they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11“We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.” 12Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!” 13But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.” 14Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you, you are spies; 15by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 16“Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” 17So he put them all together in prison for three days.

      18Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: 19if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, 20and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so. 21Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.” 22Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.” 23They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. 24He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 25Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

      26So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. 27As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 28Then he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack.” And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

Joseph did not seek revenge, but he did put his brothers to a difficult test to see if they had changed or if they would once again quickly betray another younger brother who was favored by their father. This time the test would be regarding Benjamin and we will continue to read about how it plays out as we continue through Genesis.

Joseph recognizes that God foretold this situation in the dreams he received as a child, in which his brothers would bow down before him. The prophecy God shared with him through dreams had come true. Joseph passed on the opportunity to hurt them or kill them. Instead, he chose a path that was more pleasing to the Lord. In fact, Joseph actually returned their money and gave them provisions for their return trip. No doubt Joseph had a strong relationship with God.

Now let’s return to the beginning of this article for a moment. Remember again the person or people you feel wronged you. Keeping the godly example of Joseph in mind… give consideration again for how you would respond if you had power over those who had done wrong to you. Prayerfully release any bitterness or desire to “get even”. Ask God to help you move on, if you have not already done so. If given the opportunity… seek to heal old wounds and honor God with how you handle the situation. As we read on we will see that Joseph’s response actually opened a door for God to restore his family to him because of how he handled himself. Perhaps God was testing Joseph as Joseph was himself testing his brothers.

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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.

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Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, False Prophets / Teachers, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Persecution / Glorifying God, Share the Good News, Study the Word, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

Whom Shall We Believe? Whom Shall We Follow?

Many times even today people defer to the perceived “religious leaders” or authority figures for guidance on what is right and what is not of God. Often it is for lack of studying God’s word themselves and a habit to just trust whomever identifies themselves in a established religious bureaucracy or whomever has the biggest crowds or most Facebook likes. These are not reliable measures of who teaches the truth about God. Often this can lead on a path to Hell, lost and far away from God.

Consider the high priest, Pharisees, and Sadducees during Jesus’ earthly ministry. They not only killed Jesus but also persecuted His disciples  violently. For those who trusted only in the established religious bureaucratic organization, they were lost and missed out on the revelation of grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Instead, the truth of Jesus Christ was being proclaimed by Jesus’ humble disciples, who were being arrested and whipped and threatened for speaking the truth of Jesus Christ.

Each of us should take care… God wants us to study His word ourselves and pray daily, wholeheartedly seeking after Him and changing our lives to reflect how He wants us to live… even if it means pain and suffering for us in our lives. Of course this is difficult, and that is why God sent a helper in the Holy Spirit to help us as believers and followers of Jesus.

Acts 5:27-42

     27When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31“He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32“And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Gamaliel’s Counsel

      33But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them. 34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. 35And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. 36“For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37“After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. 38“So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; 39but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”

      40They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. 41So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Notice the wicked and hard hearts of the chief priest and the other religious leaders of the time. Not once is there a mention that they prayed to God for guidance regarding Jesus. Always they reacted in the flesh, seeking after their own traditions and power. They never considered that the Messiah they all said they were waiting for would actually come. What else could they possibly expect as evidence beyond what Jesus provided!

Now they are so mad that they want to kill the disciples rather than pause and consider if Jesus really was God. Now it is twice as hard for them because they would have to admit they were wrong and killed the Messiah.

Gamaliel came closest to recognizing the power of God… his advice was wise in that there is no point going against God.  However, he too missed the fact that Jesus was Messiah. The others still insisted on flogging and threatening the disciples before letting them go.

By contrast to the attitude and behavior of the religious leaders, we see the Spirit filled disciples rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for Jesus’ name. Despite continued threats, they returned to publically teaching and proclaiming Jesus as the Christ! Surely true followers of Jesus should seek to be like these men.

When we seek to discern those who teach truth from folly we must first study God’s word in the Bible consistently and seek God humbly in prayer daily. They we will be better prepared to test the teachers we hear to ensure we follow the right ones… and none have the authority to re-write scripture and change God’s word… not even a jot or tittle.

Matthew 5:18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

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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.

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