Category Archives: Character of God

Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Obeying God, Teachable, Traditions / Holidays, Unteachable / Foolish, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

If God Says Something Is Bad, Can We Make it Good?

There can easily be constant pressure to accept the traditions and ways of men or the culture around us. In many cases, it may be what we grew up with. It could be filled with great family memories from childhood and generations of family tradition. Everyone around us may be doing something a certain way and this helps us fit in with other Christians. Often, even if the origins of the tradition are pagan, people have framed up new stories about how the traditions of men really honor God. What should we do? Can we truly take something that God said was bad and make it good?

Christmas, and many holiday traditions common to Christians today, serve as powerful examples. There are many traditions that are of pagan origin. Many don’t know this and don’t even think to ask or test their traditions. Many more do know the traditions are of pagan origin, but rather convince themselves that we can turn what God said was bad into something good. Is this true? What does God say in the Bible?

Consider His people as they left Egypt. Yahweh delivered them from slavery through many mighty miracles. There were ten plagues, parting of the Red Sea, defeat of Pharaoh’s army, God appearing as fire and smoke to lead them, manna and water miraculously to meet their needs in the dessert. Surely, we would think that generation could never turn from the ways of God, but they did. They allowed themselves to revert to influences from the Egyptian culture in which they had lived for generations.

Exodus 32:1-10

The Golden Calf

      1Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 5Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

      7Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8“They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” 9The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 10“Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.”

I think we can all see clearly that Yahweh was not pleased with His people for making this idol and worshiping it. He was going to destroy them and start over. Let us consider carefully what happened. If we read to quickly, we may conclude, as many have, that the Israelites were worshiping an idol of a false god and that is why Yahweh was upset… but this is not the case.

Look closer. Indeed, they had created an idol and began to worship it, but in fact they were using the idol to represent Yahweh Himself. Consider the following verses:

“This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 5Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”

In fact, the people were worshiping Yahweh, and He was very upset! Why? Yahweh does not want His people to worship Him in the way that the pagans worship their false gods. He wants us to worship Him in the way He tells us.

Deuteronomy 12:30-32

30beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’ 31“You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

      32“Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.

The Israelites may have been worshipping Yahweh, but they were doing so in like manner to how the Egyptians worshipped their false gods by making idols.

While this may seem like it does not apply today, it certainly does! Yahweh has not changed His opinion on what is good and what is bad. He still does not want us to worship Him with idols or with any of the manners or traditions with which the pagans worship false gods. If we take the time to study our common Christmas and Easter traditions (and other traditions as well), we will certainly find the history of many of these traditions are derived not from God’s word, but from pagan worship practices. Christians have created new meanings for many of these traditions, but they still are derived from pagan worship. Yahweh is not pleased, even if we say it is Him whom we are worshipping.

Do not repeat the error of the Israelites, which drew great anger from Yahweh. Instead, learn the history and true origin of the traditions you practice. Reject the ones that are derived from pagan worship. Instead, study and learn the practices and worship that Yahweh instructs us in His word. There is so much to learn!

I encourage you to invest time to get to know Yahweh. If He is Lord (and He certainly is!), then we should take time to learn His ways and reject the ways of the pagan worship… even if done in Yahweh’s name. Do not accept something just because it is a family or cultural “tradition”. Test and explore to understand the true origin and whether or not it may be offensive to our Lord. Do not fool yourself that you can take what is bad in His eyes and make it good by creating new Christian stories around old pagan traditions. Choose the Lord’s ways over even dear traditions that may be emotionally difficult to walk away from. Do not be like Lot’s wife who looked back at Sodom while leaving, but rather leave behind the past things without looking back on them.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead and guide Your people. Help us to have discernment and courage.  Help us to be hungry to seek Your ways and quick to challenge our own traditions against Your holy word in the Bible. Help us learn from the Israelites history documented in the scriptures that we cannot turn what is bad into good. We can simply choose whether or not to turn away from what is bad toward Your ways. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Devotions by John, His Timing Not Ours, Lying / Deceiving, Parables, Traditions / Holidays

A Parable About Sharing Christ Through Holiday Tradition

This is a parable about sharing Christ with non-Christians through holiday traditions. This is not a biblical parable, but it is similar to historical choices that the church has made regarding holiday traditions.

There were two men, each of whom wanted to share Christ with others. In this situation, they both wanted to reach Buddhists, but they had very different approaches.

The first man decided he would reach them with only the instructions laid out in the Bible. He knew it would be hard. He was dedicated to putting in the hard work to reach and serve them and to bring them only the truth of the God’s word from the Bible. He knew this may not bring the biggest crowds, but he wanted to ensure those who did respond to the message would genuinely be led toward Christ and a fruitful, Biblical relationship with Him. He understood that God must work in someone’s heart and draw them to Him if they are to truly follow Him. Man cannot do it alone. He worked tirelessly and met much resistance. He taught them about the appointed times of God in Leviticus 23 and taught them how and when to celebrate what God had instructed rather than what man had made up. Many were very attached to the traditions and customs they grew up with. Many rejected the message of the Bible, but those that did come truly came to know Christ and His teachings. They had to make hard choices and walk away from many traditions that were dear to them. They had to change even things they enjoyed in order to put Christ first and live His way. For those who judged by counting the number of “converts” or the number of people attending services, this ministry was deemed not very successful. But God saw those who were truly reached for Him and smiled. People had been reached with the truth and come to Him on His terms with repentance, thanksgiving, love and submission in their hearts. Their lives were fully transformed.

The second man observed the limited results of the first man’s efforts. He saw how many of the Buddhists refused to give up their traditions and practices, even if they were willing to listen about Christ. He had a different idea. He was sure he could make it easier for people to come accept Christ if he let them keep many of their traditions and just relabeled them with Christian meaning. He observed the Buddhist traditions and holidays. He compromised purity of the gospel of Christ by blending Biblical teaching with Buddhist teaching. For one example, he embraced Buddha statues. He said they represent God’s provision and abundance rather than Buddha. He understood that God says in the Bible not to worship Him the way that the pagans worship their Gods, but he thought that was too extreme for today’s situation. He could make this a good thing and lead people to Christ by using the pagan traditions. He had many more people show up to his services and accept Christ. For those who counted success by counting the number of people, this ministry seemed much more successful. God, however, was sad. He saw now a group of people who had not repented of their sin. They had not walked away from the things that He said were bad. They had not chosen to put Him first in their lives. They simply added Christ’s name and some of His teaching on top of the traditions and beliefs they previously held. Now they had a blended teaching which kept the people farther from Him, all the while making them comfortable that they had accepted Christ, though they had not changed their lives fully. They gave Christ only part of their attention and obedience. He was not first. Instead, family traditions and pagan worship traditions remained first in their hearts. They had “fit God in” around those other things.

Most Christians today would find the approach of the second man unacceptable. They clearly see that Buddhism is separate and cannot be blended with Christianity to get a godly result that Christ would be pleased with. If I said I was going to put up Buddha statues instead of a Christmas tree, they would confront me on it as wrong. However, if we study the history of Christmas for such things as evergreen decorations, Christmas trees, holly, yule log, gift exchange, and even the choice of Dec 25 itself we would find that all of these things started as pagan celebrations and traditions as part of their worship. The only difference is that the church accepted blending with these things so long ago that most of us have grown up with them as emotionally charged family traditions. Most of us have grown up with them with Christian labels and symbolism painted on top of pagan practices. Rather than turn away from them to please God, many convince themselves that they can make good what God said was bad by attaching different meaning. However, usually when I use the example of a Buddha statue, these same people see it as clearly wrong, because they do not have the bias of having grown up with the traditions, celebrated in the name of Christ. The two are not actually different except in timing.

My sincere hope is that all who read this pray about it, study the history of Christmas, study God’s word for where He says not to learn the way of the pagans, not to worship Him the way they worship and reflect on whether they are ready to really put God first and hold nothing back from him, including precious and emotionally important traditions of man. Let nothing come before Him in importance. Hold nothing back. Yes, it is hard, but you will grow ever closer to Him the more you put Him first in your life in all ways.

I recognize that this is an emotional subject for many and admitting that we should change is very hard. Even if we accept it and change our behavior, there will be much difficulty among family. This is to be expected when we stand for Christ above all others. Jesus said so himself in Matthew 10:23-39.

32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

35 ‘I have come to set a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36     Your enemies will be right in your own household!’[l]

37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

You can easily study online even using Christian encyclopedia’s like Zondervan or other encyclopedias. The origins are not secret, only that it has been accepted to celebrate God in ways that were developed by pagans for their gods.  119Ministries.com has put together an effective documentary in video form you can watch (The Christmas Question). They have previous teachings available for free you may consider as well (Sunburned – Part 1 and Sunburned – Part 2).

The LORD has also given us instructions on what holy days to celebrate to point to Him and our relationship with Him. They are called the Moedim and are outlined in Leviticus 23 and other places throughout the Bible. You can find scripture where Jesus participated in the Moedim. You will never find record of Jesus celebrating Christmas and Easter (or almost anything we celebrate commonly today) in the Biblical record. Passover is different than  Easter. See what they focus on. With God’s celebrations, the focus is always on Him and not gifts or food or simply ourselves. To learn more, read our teaching on Celebrating God’s Holy Days (Moedim) or scroll through and read from our Traditions/ Holidays category of teachings.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me have clarity and discernment in regards to the traditions of men vs. Your ways. Help me to have courage to change. Help me to put you first. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Faith / Trusting God, Loving / Kind, Lying / Deceiving, Murder, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer, Pride, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Seeking God, Wickedness / Evil

God, Listen to My Cry for Help

David wrote many of the Psalms when he was in times of personal adversity. As a man after God’s own heart, he consistently turned to God during suffering.

In Psalm 5, David demonstrates trust in God, reflects on God’s character, recognizes God’s love for him and his unworthiness to come before a holy God, and ends with a call to be joyful and praise God. When David prayed, he expected to hear from God.

Psalm 5

1 O Lord, hear me as I pray;
    pay attention to my groaning.
2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
    for I pray to no one but you.
3 Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
    Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

4 O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness;
    you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.
5 Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence,
    for you hate all who do evil.
6 You will destroy those who tell lies.
    The Lord detests murderers and deceivers.

7 Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;
    I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.
8 Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
    or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.

9 My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.
    Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
    Their tongues are filled with flattery.[a]
10 O God, declare them guilty.
    Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many sins,
    for they have rebelled against you.

11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
    that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
12 For you bless the godly, O Lord;
    you surround them with your shield of love.

As with many scriptures, there is much wisdom packed into these precious verses. I admire the relationship David had with God.

We can challenge ourselves to do the following when we have times of suffering:

  • Rely on God. Ask Him for protection and help.
  • Expect God to answer our prayers.
  • Reflect on the character of our holy God.
  • Remember God’s love for us.
  •  Sing joyfully and praise Him even in adversity.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Church / Body of Christ, Father / Yahweh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Marriage

God, Christ, Man, Woman… and the Christian order

1 Corinthians 11 is one of those scriptures which can create confusion and distraction. To begin, Paul lays out the order… God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of man, and man is the head of woman. This is the Christian order of authority in the home and society. For followers of Christ, there should be little controversy here, though today many wish to disrupt the order by reducing the role and authority of God, Christ, and man. Thus everyone is left to go their own way. The order is important… each household must have one lead. Those leaders must submit to Christ and Christ submits to the Father. Only then do we have unified families submitted to the Father going according the way God intended.

The part that gets confusing to many today involves the discussion of head covering. Head coverings for women in the context of the Corinthian church were a man made tradition that symbolized there submission and accountability to man. Men then did not wear a head covering because they were not accountable to man (e.g. not to a pope or other pastor) but rather directly accountable to Christ. My understanding for Paul’s discussion on this topic is that he was reinforcing the Christian order of authority, rather than commanding women to wear head coverings. Since there was a Corinthian custom regarding head coverings that symbolized this order and reminded people of it, he suggested the Corinthians should not fight or rebel against this tradition. It reinforced the proper order. In that cultural context, for a woman to reject the head covering would be akin to rejecting the Christian order.

Our culture has different customs, such as a wife taking on the last name of her husband when they marry. Similarly, for our culture, a woman should not resist submission to the authority of her husband, lest it create competition and infighting in their marriage, weakening it. Their can not be two head coaches for a team. There can not be two presidents to lead one nation or two governors to lead the same state. Similarly, a household can not flourish if there are two heads constantly competing with one another for authority.

If you want a more detailed study, one is available at Psalm119 ministries at 119Ministries.com.

1 Corinthians 11:1-16

Christian Order

      1Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

      2Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. 3But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. 5But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. 6For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. 7For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. 10Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. 13Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, 15but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.

Men, submit to Christ as He submitted to the Father. This is a tall task and not to be underestimated. If we do this, it certainly helps our wives to submit to us. Wives, submit to your husbands. Let us function as one team with one authority structure working in harmony. Of course, there are always exceptions… if your husband is asking you to do something immoral or against God the situation gets more complicated for that specific issue. However, don’t let the exceptions be an excuse for denying the fundamental order of authority God has established.

Spend some quiet time in prayer, asking God to provide clarity and listening to any prompting from the  Holy Spirit. Are you embracing the Christian order or resisting it? Men, are you submitted to Christ? Women, are you submitted to your husbands? All of us should ask if there are there any changes we need to make?

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Idols / False Gods, Loving / Kind, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

God Disciplines His People to Call Them Back to Relationship with Him

God does not want to share His glory with false gods or anything that substitutes for a false god. One simple example of a substitute would be someone putting their trust in money and giving glory to their wealth as providing for them, protecting them, etc. instead of recognizing God’s hand of blessing in their life.

If we put our trust and faith in something other than God, then as His children, He will discipline us to help us come back to a relationship with Him and remove our faith in the “idol”. In Isaiah 48 we read about how God brought about captivity in Babylon for His people and then after the right time, set them free again.

His goal is to remain in a proper relationship with His people and maintain His name, or reputation. If I were to oversimplify it for a moment, it is not unlike when we punish our children to correct certain behavior. Maybe for us, it is sending them to their room or providing other consequences.  For God, we see it on a larger scale and with His people as a whole.

The best approach is to submit to God and God alone. Do not be stubborn and resist Him, putting our trust in anything else.

Isaiah 48

Israel’s Obstinacy

1“Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are named Israel
And who came forth from the loins of Judah,
Who swear by the name of the LORD
And invoke the God of Israel,
But not in truth nor in righteousness.

      2“For they call themselves after the holy city
And lean on the God of Israel;
The LORD of hosts is His name.

      3“I declared the former things long ago
And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them.
Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

      4“Because I know that you are obstinate,
And your neck is an iron sinew
And your forehead bronze,

      5Therefore I declared them to you long ago,
Before they took place I proclaimed them to you,
So that you would not say, ‘My idol has done them,
And my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.’

      6“You have heard; look at all this.
And you, will you not declare it?
I proclaim to you new things from this time,
Even hidden things which you have not known.

      7“They are created now and not long ago;
And before today you have not heard them,
So that you will not say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’

      8“You have not heard, you have not known.
Even from long ago your ear has not been open,
Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously;
And you have been called a rebel from birth.

      9“For the sake of My name I delay My wrath,
And for My praise I restrain it for you,
In order not to cut you off.

      10“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

      11“For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;
For how can My name be profaned?
And My glory I will not give to another.


Deliverance Promised

12“Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called;
I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.

      13“Surely My hand founded the earth,
And My right hand spread out the heavens;
When I call to them, they stand together.

      14“Assemble, all of you, and listen!
Who among them has declared these things?
The LORD loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

      15“I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.

      16“Come near to Me, listen to this:
From the first I have not spoken in secret,
From the time it took place, I was there.
And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

      17Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
“I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you in the way you should go.

      18“If only you had paid attention to My commandments!
Then your well-being would have been like a river,
And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

      19“Your descendants would have been like the sand,
And your offspring like its grains;
Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.”

      20Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this,
Send it out to the end of the earth;
Say, “The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob.”

      21They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and the water gushed forth.

      22“There is no peace for the wicked,” says the LORD.

Take a few minutes in prayer. Quietly ask God to show you any areas of your life  where you are putting your trust in something other than Him. Ask Him to help you surrender these parts of your life to Him fully. Give Him thanks that He cares for you.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Controlling Thoughts, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Loving / Kind, Self Control, Thankfulness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Focus on God, Not Others Around You

The LORD puts a priority on the blessing and discipline of those whom He loves as his children. He handed His people over to Babylon for a time so that they would repent and come back to Him. It likely seemed confusing for many of His people at that time. Babylon was not righteous. They were not serving God any more than Israel was. Why would God let Babylon succeed over His chosen people?

Take heart. As we see in Isaiah 47, God deals with those like Babylon in His good timing.  They flourished for a time and then were brought low. We must focus on our own walk with God and our obedience to Him rather than watching all the unrighteous and wondering why some of them appear to be having an easier time in life than ourselves. Be grateful that the LORD loves you enough to bless you and also to discipline you.

Isaiah 47

Lament for Babylon

1“Come down and sit in the dust,
O virgin daughter of Babylon;
Sit on the ground without a throne,
O daughter of the Chaldeans!
For you shall no longer be called tender and delicate.

      2“Take the millstones and grind meal.
Remove your veil, strip off the skirt,
Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.

      3“Your nakedness will be uncovered,
Your shame also will be exposed;
I will take vengeance and will not spare a man.”

      4Our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name,
The Holy One of Israel.

      5“Sit silently, and go into darkness,
O daughter of the Chaldeans,
For you will no longer be called
The queen of kingdoms.

      6“I was angry with My people,
I profaned My heritage
And gave them into your hand.
You did not show mercy to them,
On the aged you made your yoke very heavy.

      7“Yet you said, ‘I will be a queen forever.’
These things you did not consider
Nor remember the outcome of them.

      8“Now, then, hear this, you sensual one,
Who dwells securely,
Who says in your heart,
‘I am, and there is no one besides me.
I will not sit as a widow,
Nor know loss of children.’

      9“But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day:
Loss of children and widowhood.
They will come on you in full measure
In spite of your many sorceries,
In spite of the great power of your spells.

      10“You felt secure in your wickedness and said,
‘No one sees me,’
Your wisdom and your knowledge, they have deluded you;
For you have said in your heart,
‘I am, and there is no one besides me.’

      11“But evil will come on you
Which you will not know how to charm away;
And disaster will fall on you
For which you cannot atone;
And destruction about which you do not know
Will come on you suddenly.

      12“Stand fast now in your spells
And in your many sorceries
With which you have labored from your youth;
Perhaps you will be able to profit,
Perhaps you may cause trembling.

      13“You are wearied with your many counsels;
Let now the astrologers,
Those who prophesy by the stars,
Those who predict by the new moons,
Stand up and save you from what will come upon you.

      14“Behold, they have become like stubble,
Fire burns them;
They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame;
There will be no coal to warm by
Nor a fire to sit before!

      15“So have those become to you with whom you have labored,
Who have trafficked with you from your youth;
Each has wandered in his own way;
There is none to save you.

Take a few minutes. Ask God to show you any areas where you feel jealousy or frustration based on the success of others around you that are far from God. Let go of those thoughts. Release that into the LORD’s hands. Trust in Him to handle that. Ask Him to help you focus on yourself and how you are living for God.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Idols / False Gods, Infinite / Without Limit, Protector / Deliverer, Salvation

God Deserves the Top Spot in Your Heart and Mind

Often when reading about idolatry in the Bible, Christians can easily convince themselves to dismiss it as no longer relevant since it is not commonplace anymore to literally have false idols representing gods and worship them.  However, I challenge you to think of it slightly differently. An idol can also be a job, a house, money, a hobby, or even a person. An idol is anything you put in that central place in your heart that takes the place or priority of God. God should be first in your heart. That should be reflected not just in empty words, but in our time, energy, and money in how we live. It should be reflected in how we speak and how we treat people. If there is anything that you are putting at the top of your priority list and focus, you need to ask God to help you put Him above it!

Isaiah 46

Babylon’s Idols and the True God

1Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle.
The things that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary beast.

      2They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But have themselves gone into captivity.

      3“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been borne by Me from birth
And have been carried from the womb;

      4Even to your old age I will be the same,
And even to your graying years I will bear you!
I have done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.

      5“To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?

      6“Those who lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They bow down, indeed they worship it.

      7“They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it;
They set it in its place and it stands there.
It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer;
It cannot deliver him from his distress.

      8“Remember this, and be assured;
Recall it to mind, you transgressors.

      9“Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,

      10Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;

      11Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.

      12“Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded,
Who are far from righteousness.

      13“I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant salvation in Zion,
And My glory for Israel.

Spend a few minutes with God. Ask Him to show you any idols in your life and then ask Him to help you address them quickly and boldly. God and God alone brings salvation and righteousness.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Faith / Trusting God, Guide, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy / Set Apart, Love, Obeying God, Traditions / Holidays

The Parable of the Widower Who Remarried

Just to be clear, this is not a biblical parable, but one based on biblical teaching and one that is true many times over.

There is a story about a young man who was happily married. He loved his wife very much. To show it, he learned her favorite flowers, and favorite candy, learned how to help around the house the way that she liked, and he even bought her the style of clothes she liked to wear. Of course, holiday celebrations were no exception. He honored her in the ways that she told him she appreciated and she knew that he loved her. They were married for many years and many of their ways became strong habits and traditions.

After a time, his wife grew ill and died. He truly missed her. He grieved for a time and eventually remarried.

His second wife did not like the same things or do things the same way as his first wife. He would tell his new wife how much he loved her but than continue in the old habits and traditions he created for his first wife, even buying the same style of clothing for her and giving her the flowers that his first wife enjoyed instead of the ones she liked. His second wife asked him gently many times to change how he tried to honor her and explained what she liked and did not like. Despite her many efforts to communicate clearly, the man refused to change from his habits and traditions to learn to show love and honor his second wife the way she appreciated and desired.  He simply would tell her that he was doing it for her to show his love and that it was all for her. She was deeply hurt and at times very offended. She grew to doubt whether he loved her at all or rather she was just a replacement because the one he still loved was no longer there.

How obvious it must seem to all of us that the man is making a big mistake and certainly not showing love by insisting he do things his way or the way of his first wife. How is the parable going to end? If it is to end well, the man must admit he was wrong and decide to visibly repent of, or turn away from, his ways and learn the ways of the one he wishes to love and honor.

In a way you get to finish the story… you see many of us treat God the same way as the man in the parable treats his second wife. We have learned and accepted certain ways of doing things. In some cases they are now traditions with happy memories that have been accepted for hundreds or thousands of years. We are strongly influenced by our family and cultural traditions and are emotionally connected to doing something a certain way. However, as we come to know the LORD and increase in our relationship with Him, are we willing to turn from our way of doing things and seek out and follow His ways? God has clearly communicated what He likes and does not like… what is good and bad in the holy scriptures. Often times we are not willing to lay down what is important to us to pick up what His word really says is important to Him.  Do not rely on what your church does, or what your parents did, or your friends do. Rely on what the scriptures say God wants.

Just as in the case with the widower who remarried, not being aware that we are doing what is bad makes it no less offensive. Why do we not take time to learn what God values…what He wants from us?

Claiming we can take something that is bad in God’s eyes and make it into something that is good is like saying we can give someone a weed, but call it a rose and everything will be great. It is like giving someone a daisy when their favorite flower is a rose… but we tell them it is a rose.

We must each decide if we are to cling to our traditions of man, like the Pharisees and Sadducees who came against Jesus, or if we are to stand up and do things God’s way as Jesus and His disciples did, even if we are mocked for it.

Would it surprise you to know that Christmas trees, evergreen wreaths, mistletoe, gift exchange, even celebrating on Dec 25 are all  based on pagan worship practices which the church originally banned but later accepted because people would not stop doing them? Of course much of Easter celebration also has origins in pagan worship as well. The church decided if we can’t get people to stop their detestable pagan worship, then we will join them but make up a new story to explain the items previously used in pagan worship. They took a weed and called it a rose.

If you truly love God, and submit your life to God… take the time to learn more about what He wants and not just stick to traditions of men that are offensive to Him. You can easily study online even using Christian encyclopedia’s like Zondervan or other encyclopedias. The origins are not secret, only that it has been accepted to celebrate God in ways that were developed by pagans for their gods. 119Ministries.com has put together an effective documentary in video form you can watch (The Christmas Question). They have previous teachings available for free you may consider as well (Sunburned – Part 1 and Sunburned – Part 2).

The LORD has also given us instructions on what holy days to celebrate to point to Him and our relationship with Him. They are called the Moedim and are outlined in Leviticus 23 and other places throughout the Bible. You can find scripture where Jesus participated in the Moedim. You will never find record of Jesus celebrating Christmas and Easter (or almost anything we celebrate commonly today) in the Biblical record. Passover and Easter are very different. See what they focus on. With God’s celebrations, the focus is always on Him and not gifts or food or simply ourselves. To learn more, scroll through and read from our Traditions/ Holidays category of teachings.

I recognize that this is an emotional subject for many and admitting that we should change is very hard. Even if we accept it and change our behavior, there will be much difficulty among family. This is to be expected when we stand for Christ above all others. Jesus said so himself in Matthew 10:23-39.

32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

35 ‘I have come to set a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36     Your enemies will be right in your own household!’[l]

37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

We each must decide whether or not we submit to God fully or hold tightly to the traditions of man. By the way… study of the new testament clearly shows that clutching to the traditions of man was the way of the Pharisees and Sadducees, not the way of Jesus.

God wants his people to be holy (set apart for God’s use) and righteous (living according to God’s commands rather than the world’s). He wants us to put Him first, above everything else.

Challenge yourself to objectively evaluate your traditions and seek first the kingdom of God. Do not dismiss this quickly but rather prayerfully seek God to show you the truth of His word and how to apply it in your life. Ask yourself about any tradition you claim to observe to honor God, if you were not influenced by family or cultural traditions would you naturally come up with this tradition by studying the Bible? If not, that can be a good indicator.

Pray that God would give you courage and boldness to pursue him with how you live. My family and I have been on this journey, we remain on this journey still today. It is difficult at times, but well worth pursuing to grow closer to Him and be more pleasing to Him. Trust in His ways over those of men.

—-

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

Anger (unrighteous anger), Faith / Trusting God, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer

Find Peace and Joy in God

When we draw near to God in a personal relationship, we can freely approach Him in times of trouble on a very personal level. We can put our trust in Him.

Psalm 4

1 Answer me when I call to you,
    O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
    Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2 How long will you people ruin my reputation?
    How long will you make groundless accusations?
    How long will you continue your lies? Interlude
3 You can be sure of this:
    The Lord set apart the godly for himself.
    The Lord will answer when I call to him.

4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
    Think about it overnight and remain silent. Interlude
5 Offer sacrifices in the right spirit,
    and trust the Lord.

6 Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
    Let your face smile on us, Lord.
7 You have given me greater joy
    than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

David found much comfort in coming humbly before God and asking for help. David shared his feelings and concerns with God openly as he would a father or friend. All of us go through difficult times. God wants us to come before Him in prayer, to talk to Him, and to be comforted in that we know God loves us and is ultimately in control.

As a side note, we can also see some good advice to follow:

  • Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
        Think about it overnight and remain silent.
  • By trusting the LORD, we harvest joy and peace.

We would likely all do well to take that advice and apply it more often in our lives.

Take a few minutes and seek out God for whatever challenges face you today. Be honest with Him. Put your trust in Him. He is sufficient. He is able.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Compassionate, Faithful, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness

I Am the Lord, and There Is No Other

There are several themes in Isaiah 45 I want to highlight.

  • God used Cyrus for His purposes, even though Cyrus did not know Him. There is no boundary or limit on who God can use and how. In this case, God used Cyrus for the sake of Israel.
  • God emphasizes that He and He alone is God. There is no other.
  • God’s power is supreme. Don’t quarrel with Him or act as if He is doing it wrong.
  • He saves His people.

As you read, consider if there are any aspects of your life in which you are challenging any of these key premises as they apply today. Are you doubting that God is able to take control of government and leadership should He decide He wants to do so? Are you doubting He can use even bad leaders, those who do not know Him, to His glory? Do you look for salvation and hope in something or someone other than God? Do you doubt God’s power? Do you quarrel with Him, as if He is doing something wrong in your life? Do you lack the hope of knowing that He saves His people?

Take heed and be encouraged. There is no other God and our God is all powerful and faithful to His people! Submit yourself to Him and believe.

Isaiah 45

God Uses Cyrus

1Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken by the right hand,
To subdue nations before him
And to loose the loins of kings;
To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

      2“I will go before you and make the rough places smooth;
I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.

      3“I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden wealth of secret places,
So that you may know that it is I,
The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

      4“For the sake of Jacob My servant,
And Israel My chosen one,
I have also called you by your name;
I have given you a title of honor
Though you have not known Me.

      5“I am the LORD, and there is no other;
Besides Me there is no God.
I will gird you, though you have not known Me;

      6That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is no one besides Me.
I am the LORD, and there is no other,

      7The One forming light and creating darkness,
Causing well-being and creating calamity;
I am the LORD who does all these.

God’s Supreme Power

8“Drip down, O heavens, from above,
And let the clouds pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
And righteousness spring up with it.
I, the LORD, have created it.

      9“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker—
An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth!
Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’
Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?

      10“Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’
Or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’”

      11Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:
“Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons,
And you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.

      12“It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it.
I stretched out the heavens with My hands
And I ordained all their host.

      13“I have aroused him in righteousness
And I will make all his ways smooth;
He will build My city and will let My exiles go free,
Without any payment or reward,” says the LORD of hosts.

      14Thus says the LORD,
“The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush
And the Sabeans, men of stature,
Will come over to you and will be yours;
They will walk behind you, they will come over in chains
And will bow down to you;
They will make supplication to you:
‘Surely, God is with you, and there is none else,
No other God.’”

      15Truly, You are a God who hides Himself,
O God of Israel, Savior!

      16They will be put to shame and even humiliated, all of them;
The manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.

      17Israel has been saved by the LORD
With an everlasting salvation;
You will not be put to shame or humiliated
To all eternity.

      18For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited),
“I am the LORD, and there is none else.

      19“I have not spoken in secret,
In some dark land;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
‘Seek Me in a waste place’;
I, the LORD, speak righteousness,
Declaring things that are upright.

      20“Gather yourselves and come;
Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations;
They have no knowledge,
Who carry about their wooden idol
And pray to a god who cannot save.

      21“Declare and set forth your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
Who has announced this from of old?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, the LORD?
And there is no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a Savior;
There is none except Me.

      22“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.

      23“I have sworn by Myself,
The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

      24“They will say of Me, ‘Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.’
Men will come to Him,
And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.

      25“In the LORD all the offspring of Israel
Will be justified and will glory.”

Reflect prayerfully on the themes we have highlighted today.

  • God used Cyrus for His purposes, even though Cyrus did not know Him. There is no boundary or limit on who God can use and how. In this case, God used Cyrus for the sake of Israel.
  • God emphasizes that He and He alone is God. There is no other.
  • God’s power is supreme. Don’t quarrel with Him or act as if He is doing it wrong.
  • He saves His people.

Ask God to show you any areas of your life that you need to make changes in your actions or attitudes. Give Him thanks and praise for who He is and what He has already done for you!

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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