Category Archives: Character of God

Character of God, Loneliness

You Do Not Have To Face Loneliness By Yourself

We have all experienced loneliness at different times in our lives and in different magnitudes. Loneliness affects people of all ages and all nationalities and all cultures around the world. People seek to solve their loneliness through many desperate pursuits and bad relationships, but there is only one cure for loneliness… and that is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit living in you. God is the only one who will never let you down, never abandon you, never leave you. Even in your darkest hour you can count on Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 31:6  6“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5  5Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” 6so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”

John 14:16-17 16“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

Matthew 28:19-20 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Not only does God give us His assurance that He will not abandon us, but we can be assured that Jesus understands loneliness. God humbled Himself and became man in the person of Jesus Christ for our sake. He experienced temptation but did not sin. He experienced loneliness, but found strength in a strong relationship with God. In fact, Jesus experienced two very dramatic examples of loneliness that serve as bookends to His earthly ministry.

Jesus faced temptation from Satan when He was weak and alone. Jesus found strength in none but the word of God to defeat Satan and overcome temptation.

Matthew 4:1-11

      1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”

      5Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,

6and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’;
and
‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”

7Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”

      8Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” 11Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Of course, the other dramatic example that Jesus experienced was during the final days leading up to the cross, where He died as punishment for our sins. It started in Gethsemane, when He brought His closest disciples to pray with Him at His most difficult moment, but they could not even stay awake.

Matthew 26:36-46

      36Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”

      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.” 40And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41“Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

      42He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46“Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

From this point on, Jesus was abandoned by his disciples who fled, including Peter’s denying Jesus three times.  Jesus experienced the torture and abuse leading up to and including death on the cross alone. It was His relationship with God, strong prayer life, and devotion to do the will of God that carried Jesus through that time.  (You can read more in the gospels. In Matthew, read chapter 26-27)

We can know that Jesus understands loneliness. He experienced as much as any of us. He loves us and promises to be with us to the end of the age. He even prayed that God would send a helper in the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us who accept Jesus Christ as Lord!

Truly we have a dear friend and savior in Jesus Christ. When we submit our lives to Him and seek Him daily in the Biblical text and in prayer we will never be alone.

Joshua 1:9  9“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Romans 8:38-39  38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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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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Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Righteousness / Serving God, Thankfulness

God Keeps His Promises

God appears to Jacob in a personal way to reinforce and remind Jacob of God’s promise to and purpose for him.  Jacob has experienced a very challenging and rewarding life since God first made this promise to him in Genesis 28:1-22. Jacob has grown in relationship to God and faithfully obeys God’s instruction him, giving thanks to God along the way.

Genesis 35:9-15

      9Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him.

10God said to him,
“Your name is Jacob;
You shall no longer be called Jacob,
But Israel shall be your name.”
Thus He called him Israel.

11God also said to him,
“I am God Almighty;
Be fruitful and multiply;
A nation and a company of nations shall come from you,
And kings shall come forth from you.

      12“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac,
I will give it to you,
And I will give the land to your descendants after you.”

13Then God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him. 14Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel.

Despite many difficulties and mistakes in raising and leading his household, Jacob has grown more consistent in obeying and being faithful to God. He has experienced much personal grown in his life since first God appeared to him. Like all of us who choose to pursue a lifelong journey to serve and obey God, Jacob does not have it all figured out. He makes mistakes and his family has to deal with real consequences for those mistakes. However, he thankfully pursues God’s direction for his life.

Genesis 35:22-29 shows us how far God has brought Jacob on the journey toward the promises of God. We remember also that these were the multi-generational promises God made to Abraham and Isaac before Jacob. Scripture provides a point of reflection as Isaac dies, to see how far God has already brought them in a generation from Isaac, or two generations from Abraham. Jacob, by himself, has a large and prosperous family and this does not even include the branches of the family that came forth from Ishmael or Esau.

The Sons of Israel

       Now there were twelve sons of Jacob— 23the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, then Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun; 24the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; 25and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid: Dan and Naphtali; 26and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

      27Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned.

      28Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29Isaac breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, an old man of ripe age; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

We can count on the promises of God. Take time to reflect on the promises of God revealed in the Bible or spoken to you personally through your prayer life with God. Can you see where God has been active and come through to deliver on these promises in your life? In difficult times, do you believe and take strength in the promises God has made? You can trust Him completely, even when He does things in a way that you or I would not choose.

I praise God that He does things His way for my wisdom is so limited, but His wisdom is beyond our ability to understand! I trust in His promises revealed through the Bible! They bring me comfort and joy in good times and in bad.  God will never let us down.

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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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Character of God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Family, Hearing from God, Holy / Set Apart, Idols / False Gods, Obeying God, Thankfulness, Traditions / Holidays

Let Your Family Be Set Apart For God’s Purpose

We join Jacob and his family as they follow God’s instruction to move to Bethel in Genesis 35:1-8. Jacob had previously settled and remained among ungodly people. In His daughter, Dinah, was raped and then the man who did so came and asked for her in marriage as if his behavior was normal.  Jacob’s sons responded violently in Genesis 34. Now Jacob feared the people of the land would be hostile to him.

Jacob Moves to Bethel

      1Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 2So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves and change your garments; 3and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem.

      5As they journeyed, there was a great terror upon the cities which were around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. 7He built an altar there, and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him when he fled from his brother. 8Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; it was named Allon-bacuth.

God personally replied to Jacob in his time of distress. God provided specific directions and Jacob, to his credit, obeyed. Jacob built an altar to show he was thankful to God. However we also see evidence of Jacob’s failure as head of his household.

2So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves and change your garments

Jacob not only settled and remained among the pagans, putting his family at physical risk as we saw in Genesis 34, but he further had allowed his household to blend with the pagans putting them at spiritual risk. He did not keep them set apart for God, or holy. He was aware, or became aware, that they had foreign gods among them and needed purification. Why had he not taken notice and addressed this earlier? Why only now that they were leaving? Why only after Dinah had been raped?

We don’t know for sure, but I suspect that we are all at risk of rationalizing and accepting pagan practices that dishonor God. It starts by making excuses to accept that they are not bad or “not all bad”. Perhaps they seem “fun”. Then we may start to participate in some way. Then our household just starts to accept them. God does not want us to make excuses and rationalize why the pagan practices of the ungodly can be considered acceptable. He wants us to remain holy… set apart for His service and purpose.

We see insight into the character of God in this scripture as well. Despite his mistakes, Jacob was a man of faith and obeyed God’s direct instructions when he heard them. God protected Jacob and delivered his family to Bethel. God does not give up on us because we make mistakes. So long as we wholeheartedly seek Him and submit to Him, He will remain with us. What a merciful and loving God! Praise God for His patience in our weakness. However, as with Jacob’s family, we still face consequences for our mistakes.

Are there any idols or worldly activities that you are accepting in your family? Idols are not always statues, but may be other things like sports, money, fame, traditions, or other things we place in importance before God. Most of us immediately say we don’t do that, but look closely at how you spend our time, money, and talent. Is God really first? or do you just fit Him in once a week for church?

Separate from idols, false gods, and close relationships with ungodly people. Pray God would reveal to you what you need to purge from your family’s life now. Don’t wait until something bad happens as did to Dinah in Genesis 34. The decisions you make today may affect generations in your household to come.

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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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Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Merciful, Mockers, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

No Greater Act of Love

The dreadful treatment that Jesus received up to and including dying on the cross gives us insight into what we deserve for our wrong behaviors and attitudes. He deserved no such treatment. Jesus lived without sin, in perfect obedience to God. God willingly chose to become man in the person of Jesus Christ and to suffer and die for our sins. There is no greater and more clear act of love than to take our punishment in our place. Picture yourself going through this suffering and death instead of Jesus… what would it be like? Then praise God for showing us love, grace, and mercy in taking our punishment for us.

Matthew 27:27-56

Jesus Is Mocked

      27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. 28They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. 31After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

      32As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.

The Crucifixion

      33And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, 34they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.

      35And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. 36And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. 37And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

      38At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads 40and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42“He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43“HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.

      45Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” 47And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” 50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

      55Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. 56Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

There are consequences for our sin, for our wrong behaviors and attitudes. The wages of sin are death, but God offers us mercy and grace through Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:23 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God offers mercy in that He will withhold from us the punishment we deserve if we accept the lordship of Jesus Christ. God offers grace in His offer of eternal life and forgiveness, which we do not deserve. God shows us love by paying accepting upon Himself the punishment we deserve. The consequences of sin had to be dealt with. They could not be ignored.  Jesus suffered for us.

We see also the wicked, who mock and scorn Jesus and those who follow Him. They reject and rebel against God. Ultimately, all shall recognize Jesus as Lord, but for those who reject Him throughout their lives on earth, it will be too late to accept His offer of forgiveness when they stand before Him after they die.

Romans 14:11-12

11For it is written,
“AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”

12So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

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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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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Consequences of Sin, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, False Prophets / Teachers, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Obeying God, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

Profiles in Humanity – Jesus’ Trial Before Pilate

No greater demonstration of love has the world ever seen than that of God humbling Himself to become man in the person of Jesus Christ and then voluntarily suffering and dying for our sins on the cross. We walk with Jesus on this journey in Matthew 27:11-26, as we see Him brought before Pilate for judgment. Pilate recognizes His innocence, but executes Him anyway trying not to take any accountability for it. The people are sheep, easily led astray by religious leaders to seek the release of a notorious prisoner and call for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who was innocent. Jesus allows it and does not try to defend Himself despite personal pain and suffering, for He is walking in God’s will.

Jesus before Pilate

      11Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. 13Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

      15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.

      19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. 21But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” 23And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”

      24When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” 25And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” 26Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

We see several profiles that are worth comparing. We can learn from each.

Jesus is the perfect picture of a righteous man, obeying God even when it results in suffering. He sought and now follows God’s will for His life. He endures trials to serve our almighty God.

The chief priests and elders are relentless in their selfish desire to maintain power and execute Jesus out of sheer jealousy and fear of losing their earthly power and prestige. They have witnessed Jesus’ earthly ministry complete with many miracles. They have heard Him teach properly and with authority. Their faith tells them to prepare for such a Messiah as Jesus, but there is never even an indication in scripture that they seek God’s confirmation for whether or not Jesus is Messiah, Son of God. They are more often seen plotting and scheming, trying  to manipulate the people for their personal gain.

The people are weak… sheep… easily manipulated by those they perceive as their leaders. They do not recognize false prophets and teachers. They appear ignorant of scripture and unable or unwilling to test their religious leaders and hold them accountable to the word of God. They seem blindly to rely on what they are told, without testing it against God’s word. The choice between Jesus and Barabbas should be easy and obvious for a righteous people to make, even if they do not know the scriptures. They are easy prey to be led astray and away from the narrow path that leads to God.

Finally, we come to Pilate. Despite his efforts to symbolically “wash his hands” of guilt, he stands as guilty as any. He knowingly crucified an innocent man… knowing whom Jesus claimed to be and with no claim to deny it. Pilate even understood the motivation for why Jesus was accused. Pilate chose based on ease of appeasing the crowds rather than doing what was right. He is accountable. There is no middle ground. We are either with Jesus or we are against Him.

Matthew 12:30 30“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. [also Luke 11:23]

Revelation 3:15-16  15‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

Consider each of these profiles and how they may apply in your life, or the lives of those around you. Prepare now to stand for God even when no one else will. Avoid being easily led astray. Study God’s word daily. Come humbly before Him in prayer daily. Submit your life to Jesus Christ today!

Get started by learning some core teachings:

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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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Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin

Did Judas Repent For Betraying Jesus?

Matthew 27:1-10 documents the guilt and regret that Judas experienced after betraying Jesus. He could not handle it and ultimately committed suicide. Let us take this opportunity to explore what some believe is evidence of Judas repenting from his sin and betrayal.  This is indeed an important lesson in that all of us have sinned and done wrong. All of us fall short of the glory of God and are faced with how to respond to that reality.

      1Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death; 2and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor.

      3Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” 5And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. 6The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood.” 7And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers. 8For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “AND THEY TOOK THE THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER, THE PRICE OF THE ONE WHOSE PRICE HAD BEEN SET BY THE SONS OF ISRAEL; 10AND THEY GAVE THEM FOR THE POTTER’S FIELD, AS THE LORD DIRECTED ME.”

Some people get confused and want to believe that because Judas killed himself, it indicates a repentant heart and he was reconciled to God. This is a misunderstanding of repentance. Scripture gives no evidence of Judas repenting from his betrayal of Jesus. Judas simply felt guilt and could not handle it. He committed suicide. This is reminiscent of Cain’s response when confronted by God for murdering Able. Cain never admitted he was wrong, he never asked forgiveness, he never changed his behavior to follow and obey God… he simply could not handle the consequences of his wrong doing. Cain did not turn away from his wrong doing toward God (repentance), he regretted getting punished.

Genesis 4:9-13       9Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. 11“Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12“When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” 13Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is too great to bear!

One of the greatest examples of repentance involves Saul (later known as Paul). He was passionately killing Christians and after a dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul does not kill himself, but rather turns from wrong behavior to right behavior and spends the rest of his life passionately obeying Jesus Christ and going about God’s work spreading the gospel… enduring many hardships along the way for the sake of Christ.

Acts 9:17-22  17So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; 19and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, 20and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Indeed, Saul truly repented… turned away from his wrong behavior. He asked forgiveness from Jesus and submitted the rest of his life to the work of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Saul was forgiven and reconciled with God.

For all of us who have sinned and made mistakes… and that is all of us… we must understand how to response to the gracious offer of forgiveness offered by Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:23  23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

We must admit we have done wrong, have sinned, and cannot save ourselves. We must believe in our heart that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again so our sins could be forgiven and by accepting Him as Lord of our life we can become a born again Christian. . We must confess Jesus as Lord of our life and follow Him.

Romans 10:9-10 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Do you want to be forgiven for all that you have done wrong? Are you ready to change your life and follow Jesus as your leader? Pray with us, but pray genuinely with your heart because it is not about the specific words but the condition of the heart and submission to God.

Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I confess that Jesus is Lord. I believe in my heart that you raised Him from the dead. Come into my heart Jesus, and be Lord over my life. Thank you God for saving me.

If you made this decision today, we encourage you to reach out to us or other Christians so that we can welcome you into the body of Christ as well as pray for you and provide more information and encouragement for your life changing decision. You can reach us through our Contact Us page.

This is not all there is! This is but the beginning… the doorway. Once you pass through this doorway you submit your whole life to Christ. It requires a combination of Intellect (knowing God), Emotion (loving God and fearing God), and Will (choosing to do His will instead of our own). It is an ongoing decision in our lives that starts us on a journey to know God more intimately and to obey Him more completely. It requires study and prayer and action. It is a journey we never finish in this life, but it transforms us along the way to be more and more like Jesus Christ.

Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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

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Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Salvation, Study the Word

Jesus Clearly Claims To Be Son Of God… Not Just A Prophet

For all those who claim that Jesus never said He was the Son of God… they stand in error. Billions of people around the world are misled by this deception and the Bible could not be clearer. Jesus could not have spoken more clearly than He did in Matthew 26:57-68. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God… thus He is not just a good teacher or prophet, but the Messiah.

Jesus before Caiaphas

      57Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. 58But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.

      59Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. 60They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, 61and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’” 62The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”

      65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”

      67Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, 68and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”

The chief priests took quite some time going through witnesses to obtain false testimony about Jesus. Many false witnesses came, yet they did not find what they wanted as an excuse to kill Him. So, by contrast, we see that they clearly understood that Jesus claimed to be Son of God, which is to say God. For when they heard this, they stopped bringing witnesses and declared Jesus’ death sentence. They were being thorough and considered Jesus’ claim to be very clear.

Then they beat Him and spat on Him. Jesus experienced much physical and emotional pain up to death and the cross on our behalf. Jesus suffered this pain and humiliation for our sins… our mistakes.

Make no mistake… since Jesus clearly claimed to be Son of God. There are only three choices for us to rationally consider. Jesus is either God, as He says, or He is a liar or a madman. He cannot be a prophet or good teacher.

Billions are wrong about Jesus… Jewish people and Muslims along with others, deny that Jesus was God. They deny the very God who came to die for them and take their burden of sin for them. Many who identify as Christian dismiss what Jesus did too lightly as well. They continue in their sin, insisting on doing things their way instead of God’s way. There is only one way to God.

[John 14:6]  6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

God humbled Himself to become man in the person of Jesus Christ. He did so to provide a path to forgiveness for all we have done wrong in our lives… all the wrong we have done against living according to His standard as revealed in the Biblical text. The Bible is incredibly relevant. It is the greatest story ever told!

Please do not “read the Bible it in a year”…  but rather study it for a lifetime and apply God’s word to your life. We invite you to study the Bible with us daily through our devotions via email, Facebook, Google Plus, or on our website Latest Devotions page. You can also look around our website (HearingFromJesus.org) for many more resources and tools to help you.

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as God, as the one who personally came to take the punishment for your mistakes, I urge you to do so today. Do not delay. None of us knows how much time we have before we die and then it is too late to submit to Him and accept Him as Lord. Tell your family and friends about Him!

Learn more about accepting Jesus as leader of your life through The Message of the Cross.

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

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Consequences of Sin, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Obeying God, Salvation

Jesus Gave Himself Willingly

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Jesus demonstrates His great love for us in Matthew 26:47-56, in that He volunteered to suffer and die for our past mistakes so we could return to relationship with God. How many people can you imagine trusting God this much, volunteering for what was to happen… to save others? Most of us would be saying “I did not do anything wrong, so do not punish me.”

What great love God has for us! Jesus willingly suffered and died for our sins, so our past (and future) mistakes could be forgiven.

Jesus’ Betrayal and Arrest

      47While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.” 49Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.

      51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. 53“Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54“How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

      55At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. 56“But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

Surely each of us can think of things we wish we would not have done in our past. Jesus died so we could be forgiven of these things and be reconciled with God. Jesus could clearly have defended Himself with even a thought… calling upon a host of angels to protect Him. He did not. He actually directed the one who did defend Him with a sword to put it away. From Luke 22 we see even more amazing grace from our Lord, Jesus. Jesus healed the injured man… one of those who had come to take Him into custody!

 50And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.

Jesus shows amazing love and grace for His people. To accept His offer of forgiveness, we must admit we have done wrong and turn away from our wrong behaviors and attitudes… those motivated by our personal selfish desires. We must turn toward Jesus, asking Him to forgive our past mistakes. We submit our lives to Jesus as our leader, our Lord, and we begin to live according to His example… in obedience to God.  Then we can be restored to close relationship with God and truly find joy in this world and the world to come!

If you have not made this personal decision to make Jesus the leader of your life, I urge you to do so today. Do not delay. (Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.) This most important decision is the beginning of a journey that lasts your entire lifetime… transforming you to be more like Jesus and less like your old self.

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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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Can God Use Me?, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Prophecy, Righteousness / Serving God, Share the Good News

Truly I Say To You That One Of You Will Betray Me

We continue with Jesus in the final days of His earthly ministry before crucifixion in Matthew 26:26-35. Earlier in Matthew 26, chief priests are plotting against Jesus, a woman honored Him with expensive perfume, Judas plans to betray Him… the pace of activity is very quick. Jesus knows all of it, including what awaits Him in suffering and dying and being resurrected over the next few days. Still, Jesus focuses on celebrating the Passover, as God has commanded.

The Last Passover

      20Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. 21As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” 22Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. 24“The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” 25And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”

The Lord’s Supper Instituted

      26While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29“But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

      30After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

      31Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ 32“But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” 34Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.

First, let us note that Jesus indicates only one will betray Him. Clearly He is indicating Judas as the betrayer. Thus, Peter’s denial is recognized by Jesus as a failure on Peter’s part, but not a betrayal. Judas had intentional plans to betray Jesus for profit. Peter’s heart was true, but his flesh was weak. Give Peter his due… he followed along with Jesus further than the others. It was in doing so that he ultimately denies Jesus. Likewise, the failure of the other disciples to stand with Jesus due to their fear was not counted as betrayal… though it appears they fell short of a perfect standard in their response to Jesus’ being taken into custody by the Romans.

We will also, through our continued reading of Matthew, confirm that Jesus knows what is going to happen before it does. Several examples… Judas’ betrayal, Peter’s denial, and Jesus’ death and resurrection. All these examples continue to point to Jesus as God.

Jesus gives us a symbolic example through which we can remember His death for our sins. The wine and bread, properly considered and presented, can be a powerful reminder of the suffering and sacrifice… of the love of our savior, Jesus Christ. Do not let it become empty repetition with no meaning, but rather prayerfully consider each time you partake, reminding yourself what it represents.

I find it worth noting that Jesus and His disciples sung a hymn before they went to the Mount of Olives. We, too, can honor God in praising Him through song. Music and song can help us connect with God emotionally, in a way that perhaps studying the word of God does not. Both are good and complement one another.

Peter and the other disciples meant well, insisting they would stand with Jesus even unto death, but in the end they were not prepared. This can be very motivating and encouraging for those of us who know that we, too, have failed to stand with Christ at times in our lives. We, like the disciples, can seek forgiveness for our mistakes, and re-dedicate ourselves to God, asking the Holy Spirit for help. Look at what the disciples accomplished despite this early failure… after the Holy Spirit was in them (after the death and resurrection of Christ), they all were willing to boldly proclaim Jesus as Lord despite persecution to the point of death. They spread the good news of the gospel very effectively.

We can do that also if we prepare through Bible study and prayer and submission to Jesus… turning away from our past lives of selfishness and sin. Give your life to Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Start (or continue) a bold life of service to Jesus Christ.

For those who have not yet submitted your life to Jesus Christ, learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

For those who have submitted to Christ, but do not know where to begin to practically change your life to one of submission to Him, please review the following teachings:

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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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Discerning / Judging, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteousness / Serving God, Temptation/Tempting

One of Jesus’ Disciples Plots to Betray Him

Matthew 26 demonstrates the extremes Jesus experienced in terms of loyalty in the last few days before He was turned over to be crucified. Earlier in Matthew 26, a woman honored Jesus by pouring expensive perfume on Him. Jesus was so pleased, that He said, 13“Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” In the next verse we see Judas plotting to betray Him.

Matthew 26:14-19

Judas’s Bargain

      14Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. 16From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.

It is worth noting that Judas spent a lot of time with Jesus. He witnessed many miracles and heard much of Jesus’ teaching personally and directly. He gave the appearance to all except Jesus that he was a loyal follower and disciple. Note that Judas was not even approached by the chief priests… Judas went to them! What a truly hard heart and selfish spirit. Jesus knew He would be betrayed by Judas before Judas ever began to follow Him. He was not surprised. Jesus accepted Judas that long because He knew it was part of God’s plan.

Just because someone is involved in a church or ministry or other good activities does not mean they have a true personal relationship with Jesus. It does not mean they have submitted their lives to Jesus. We should look beyond actions to attitudes when discerning whether or not someone is genuine in their relationship with Jesus. This discernment is very important… who do you trust your children with in the nursery or kids church? who do you listen to as your pastor? what about young men and ladies considering marriage?

Many, when they read this scripture, want to quickly assert that they would never betray Jesus for such a sum of money… or at all. But we should all pause to consider… many believe they will not fail Jesus, but may not really be prepared for the difficulty or persecution they may face if they stand up for Jesus.  Peter thought he would stand with Jesus unto death when Jesus told him that he would deny Him three times? Yet when the time came, Peter denied Jesus.  I am sure also, that Eve did not plan to fail God in the garden, but when the time came, she did so by listening to the serpent.

The situation with Peter and Eve are different from that of Judas. Judas intentionally betrayed Jesus for profit. Peter and Eve failed to stand firm for God when tempted and tested. However, these examples stand as a warning for each of us to avoid being overconfident. If we are overconfident, saying to ourselves, “That will never happen to me”, then we are not, in fact, preparing ourselves for when that situation confronts us. We are more likely to fail if we are not planning ahead how to deal with such a situation.

Have you ever been tempted to steal, perhaps rationalizing that someone’s insurance will cover it or it is only a small item? Have you made business deals or personal deals to make money that compromised the values that Jesus teaches? Have you taken advantage of someone else by lying or deceiving them?

These are real life examples we are faced with in our lives where we either stand for Christ, fail under pressure, or outright betray Him… often for much less than the 30 pieces of silver that Judas received.

Decide ahead of time, now, to stand up for Jesus even when you think it may not matter. Get comfortable representing Him well and being a loyal servant even when you expect to be mocked or persecuted in return. Prepare to behave the way Jesus teaches us, even if it costs you money to do so. Choose to honor God in what you do and in what you fail to do.

If you find that you make a wrong decision, admit to yourself you did wrong, ask forgiveness from Jesus and dedicate yourself to do better next time. God’s grace is wonderful!

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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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