Category Archives: Character of God

All Powerful / King of All, Fear / Reverence for God, Government, Interceding for Others, Justice / Judgment, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Righteous, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Leadership in a Nation Matters

Leadership in a nation matters. It has lasting consequences on the people individually and collectively. It leads people to or away from God. I would add that it is more about policy than personality or perfection. God’s blessing or punishment depend on how we live and as a nation that is influenced very strongly by government policy.

What an amazing contrast between father and son as king. Hezekiah was righteous, walking in the ways of the LORD. His son, Manasseh was the opposite, rebuilding the altars that Hezekiah had pulled down. It would seem that Hezekiah was not a good father setting his son on the path to obey the LORD and perhaps also that there was not a godly advisor to help guide the young boy when he became king. 2 Kings does not say how quickly Manasseh turned to do evil, right away or later after he grew up. As he did evil in a leadership position, he led many to do evil along with him. The whole nation suffered as a result.

2 Kings 21:1-18

Manasseh Succeeds Hezekiah

      1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel. 3For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4He built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My name.” 5For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD provoking Him to anger. 7Then he set the carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the LORD said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. 8“And I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.” 9But they did not listen, and Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.

The King’s Idolatries Rebuked

      10Now the LORD spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, 11“Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, having done wickedly more than all the Amorites did who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols; 12therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. 13‘I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14‘I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoil to all their enemies; 15because they have done evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.’”

      16Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD. 17Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did and his sin which he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 18And Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son became king in his place.

It is heartbreaking. After finally having a righteous king to destroy the things that were offensive to God, the next one comes along and brings it all back. It seems it is not unusual for a reign of righteousness to fall back directly to evil. It is so easy to walk in our own ways and just flow with the culture around us. It takes more discipline to seek after the LORD and walk consistently in His ways.

Let this be a reminder to parents on the importance of educating and raising your children the right way, the LORD’s way. Do not just ship them off to public or private schools and assume they will turn out godly. Consider homeschooling. If not, choose your school carefully and stay very much involved. Do not outsource your responsibility to raise your children in the LORD.

Also, who leads our nation matters! As a nation that gets to vote for a leader, we must stop voting just for personality and go deeper. We must vote for those who will protect our right to worship God in His ways. We must look at the policies they propose and the actions they support (e.g. abortion, homosexuality, transgender, limiting our ability to live out our faith in our businesses, etc.) and compare against God’s word. This should guide us and not personality. Our vote is not a love letter to say who our best friend will be, but rather a chess move to help guide our country to be the nation we want to live in as God’s people.

Get involved at the local and state and federal level. Get involved with schools and communities. Pray for our nation and our leaders at all levels, that they would be righteous and not wicked or worldly. Pray for people to have discernment and wisdom, that the spiritual blinders would come off and they would see clearly the wicked from the righteous.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please remove the spiritual blinders from the eyes of the people across our land and across the world. Open their eyes to your righteousness and to wickedness disguised as righteousness. Many claim your name and then work against your values. Help create revival and awakening in this nation and around the world. Let people see clearly and embrace you, repenting of their sins and asking forgiveness humbly before the LORD. Leadership in our nation is very important and impacts our walk with you as a nation. It leads many to you or away from you. Please break down the spiritual strongholds in media, social media, education, government bureaucracy, corporations, and culture generally. Protect our free speech and freedom to worship and live for you. Awaken the people by the tens and twenties of millions to the truth of who you are and how they should live. Raise up the righteous to lead and strike down or convert the wicked. Let us become a righteous nation again in your eyes and be a light unto the world. 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, Healer, Learning To Pray Effectively, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant

The LORD Hears the Prayer of the Righteous

Many are confused as to how or when our Creator may respond to prayer, especially as it relates to healing. The simple answer is that there is no formula. We do not control or unlock His power. We build a relationship with Him, we trust Him, we walk in His ways, and we come to Him when we seek His help. We believe that He can heal. The rest is up to Him and we need to trust Him no matter the outcome.

One interesting record of Yahweh healing someone is relating to a mortal illness that struck King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20. To keep this historical event in context, remember the introduction we read a few chapters back about Hezekiah.

2 Kings 18

 5He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. 6For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses.

Hezekiah had a meaningful and submitted relationship to Yahweh as Lord. He walked in the ways of David, who was a man after God’s own heart. With this in mind, we see Hezekiah still gets mortally ill. In fact, Isaiah came to tell him to prepare to die. But the heartfelt and passionate prayers of a righteous man, Hezekiah, in this case result in Yahweh healing Him instead. This should encourage us in regards to coming before the LORD to pray and also encourage us to seek out how to lead our lives consistent with the LORD’s instruction.

2 Kings 20:1-11

Hezekiah’s Illness and Recovery

      1In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” 2Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3“Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5“Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. 6“I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.”’” 7Then Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.” And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

      8Now Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD the third day?” 9Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?” 10So Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to decline ten steps; no, but let the shadow turn backward ten steps.” 11Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

We also see that Hezekiah asks for a sign as if it is just part of hearing a prophecy. Isaiah does not miss a beat in offering one up and it comes to pass. Compare that to some others who demanded a sign from Jesus in Matthew 12.

Matthew 12:38-39

     38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;

There would seem to be a contradiction, but then if we reflect back on Moses and Gideon when they first are selected by the LORD for their missions we remember that both were given signs. It would seem the key to unlock this puzzle is not in asking for a sign, but rather in our relationship with Him and in our reasons. Are we looking for God to prove He is God as we stand against Him defiantly? or are we looking for encouragement to accept His word with confidence? This is an area that can be explored in more depth to be sure.

To learn more about prayer consider the following teachings:

You can also review our category of teachings about Learning to Pray Effectively.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead me to draw closer to you. Help me have a deeper, more submitted relationship with You. Help me walk in Your ways and obey all Your statutes and commands and to do so joyfully. Please help me to be confident coming before you when I am in need and help me to trust you whether your answer is “yes”, “no”, or “maybe later”. All praise and honor and glory be to You. You are our healer. You provide us hope of resurrection and life after death even when You do not heal us physically.  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.

Arrogance, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Murder, Obeying God, Parables, Persecution / Glorifying God, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Selfishness, Slow to Anger, Submitted / Servant, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

How Will You Treat God’s Messengers? His Son?

The Parable of the Landowner lays out in Yeshua’s words a summary of the relationship of Yahweh with His people, Israel. He chose them. For a time they followed Him. There were times when they rejected and mistreated His prophets (servants in the parable). So, He sends Yeshua (the landowner’s son in the parable) to the people of Israel. They reject Him and kill Him. Ultimately the LORD scatters the Jewish people and reaches out to gentiles to be grafted in to His people and His ways. This may sometimes be called “spiritual Israel” to differentiate from physical Israel which is a nation of Jewish people, who do not accept Yeshua as Messiah, but have the lineage back to Jacob who was renamed Israel.

As you read the parable, keep these things in mind. Consider what it can mean for us as His people today if we refuse to listen to His instructions and His messengers or even as we reject His son as a nation.

Matthew 21:22-45

Parable of the Landowner

      33“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 34“When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. 35“The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. 36“Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. 37“But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38“But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39“They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40“Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”

      42Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone;
THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,
AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?

43“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44“And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

      45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.

When the chief priests and Pharisees heard the parable from Yeshua, they were not open to listening and learning and then changing their lives in repentance. They got defensive and rejected the message and the messenger. Ironically they moved right toward the worst part of the warning in the parable… to kill the landowner’s son. I pray those of us reading this today will be more open to receive Yahweh’s message and apply it in our lives. The wise listen to correction and learn from it. They receive a rebuke and change. Fools and arrogant people assume they are right and anyone who speaks to the contrary is wrong and must be silenced or ignored.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to receive your rebukes and the truth of your word from scripture. Help me not to be arrogant and defensive like the Pharisees and chief priests in the scripture reading. Rather than striking down a messenger who brings a message of truth and warning, help us to listen and turn towards you and your ways. Let us receive the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. Help us have the courage and wisdom to change where we should. As a nation, and as a global body of Christ, help us to experience revival and restoration. Lift up the righteous and strike down the wicked from power and influence. Help your people to draw near to you and be loyal servants with a right relationship with you. 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.

Courage / Fear, Discerning / Judging, Guide, Purposeful / Intentional, Wise

Yeshua Did Not Shy from Confrontation and Neither Should We

Yeshua is not a pushover. He does not just cave to those who come against Him. In fact, He sets a very clear example of how we are to engage in many confrontations we may encounter based on how He repeatedly dealt with confrontations from those in authority.  One such example is recorded in Matthew 21.

Matthew 21:21-27

Authority Challenged

      23When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” 24Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25“The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26“But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.” 27And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Yeshua is wise and stands firm. He knows when people are not really interested in listening or believing Him and He avoids their traps. He does not shy away from confrontation. Sometimes He responds with great cleverness by redirecting the discussion to something that the opponent is uncomfortable dealing with rather than feeling as if He must answer whatever they ask. He has great perception and discernment to know who is really seeking Him, and who is seeking opportunity to undermine Him and His message.

Do not think His response in this chapter is “one size fits all”. There are other examples such as when people were going to try to kill Him where He simply slipped away in the crowd when He needed to do so. John 10:39 is one such example.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me have discernment and courage in dealing with confrontation, especially when I am standing for Your truth. Help me to respond confidently and wisely. Please protect us from the evil one, who comes against us and help open the eyes of those that oppose You so that they would see You in truth and turn to follow You. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Faith / Trusting God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus (hearing from God), Miracles, Parables, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Bear Fruit for His Kingdom and Build Strong Faith

We can read in Matthew 21 and also in Mark  11 about an historical account in which Yeshua cursed a barren fig tree. I will introduce it here and then include reference from  Barnes Commentary on BibleHub.com which provides good background study notes.

Matthew 21:18-22

The Barren Fig Tree

      18Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.

      20Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” 21And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. 22“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Let us begin by noting that Yeshua was not addressing the fig tree out of anger or because he wanted to give a gardening lesson to His disciples. He was using this as a visual and memorable teaching moment to highlight the state of the people throughout Israel.

The fig tree is a warning for all of us who follow Yahweh. Our purpose is to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. If we are not bearing fruit, then we have lost our purpose and thus may be cursed. This warning aligns well with God’s promise for a blessing or a curse for His people based on our choice in obedience or disobedience.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

26“See, I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse: 27the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; 28and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.

The bottom line is we should take seriously our choices in life to obey and thus bear fruit by living for Yahweh. Do not be complacent individually, as a family, or as a nation. There are consequences. By all means, pray and ask Holy Spirit to help you and others. We do not have to do this alone. Help and encourage one another.

There is also a strong message in Matthew 21 that reinforces the importance of faith and opens up a conversation about promises in the Bible.

Matthew 21:20-22

   20Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” 21And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. 22“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Some promises in the Bible are offered to all that will follow after Yeshua and some promises are directed at a specific group of individuals such as the apostles. It may not always be clear and there may be a difference of opinion.

I believe the promise in these verses about being able to do great miracles with strong faith is aimed at a specific group of disciples, and not everyone who will ever follow Christ afterwards. There is evidence of them being able to do great miracles in the Biblical record. We also can observe that not everyone who follows Christ and believes they can do miracles can do them just by having faith.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have strong faith in You and please help me to bear fruit for Your kingdom. I want to live a life that is pleasing to You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that leads and guides me and thank You for sending Yeshua to teach us, live out an example for us to follow, and die for our sins.  

I encourage those who want to study more context to continue reading the below excerpt from the Barnes commentary on BibleHub.com.

Matthew 21:19
And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

And when he saw a fig-tree in the way … – This tree was standing in the public road.

It was therefore common property and anyone might lawfully use its fruit. Mark says Mark 11:13, “Seeing a fig-tree afar off, having leaves, he came,” etc. Not far off “from the road,” but at a considerable distance from the place where he was. Having loaves, and appearing healthy and luxuriant, they presumed that there would be fruit on it. Mark says Mark 11:13, “he came, if haply he might find anything thereon.” That is, judging from the “appearance” of the tree, it was “probable” that there would be fruit on it. We are not to suppose that our Lord was ignorant of the true condition of the tree, but he acted according to the appearance of things; being a man as well as divine, he acted, of course, as people do act in such circumstances.

And found nothing thereon but leaves only – Mark 11:13 gives as a reason for this that “the time of figs was not yet.” That is, the time “of gathering” the figs was not yet, or had not passed. It was a time when figs were ripe or suitable to eat, or he would not have gone to it, expecting to find them; but the time of gathering them had not passed, and it was to be presumed that they were still on the tree. This took place on the week of the Passover, or in the beginning of April. Figs, in Palestine, are commonly ripe at the Passover. The summer in Palestine begins in March, and it is no uncommon thing that figs should be eatable in April. It is said that they sometimes produce fruit the year round.

Mark 11:12-13 says that this took place on the morning of the day on which he purified the temple. Matthew would lead us to suppose that it was on the day following. Matthew records briefly what Mark records more “fully.” Matthew states the fact that the fig-tree was barren and withered away, without regarding minutely the order or the circumstances in which the event took place. There is no contradiction, because Matthew does not affirm that this took place on the morning after the temple was cleansed, though he places it in that order; nor does he say that a day did not elapse after the fig-tree was cursed before the disciples discovered that it was withered, though he does not affirm that it was so. Such circumstantial variations, where there is no positive contradiction, go greatly to confirm the truth of a narrative. They show that the writers were honest men, and did not “conspire” to deceive the world.

And said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee … – Mark calls this “cursing” the tree Mark 11:21. The word “curse,” as used by him, does not imply “anger,” or disappointment, or malice. It means only “devoting it to destruction,” or causing it to wither away. All the “curse” that was pronounced was in the words “that no fruit should grow on it.” The Jews used the word “curse” not as always implying “wrath or anger,” but to devote to “death,” or to any kind of destruction, Hebrews 6:8. It has been commonly thought that the Saviour performed this miracle to denote the sudden “withering away” or destruction of the Jewish people. They, like the fig-tree, promised fair. That was full of leaves, and they full of professions. Yet both were equally barren; and as that was destroyed, so they were soon to be. It was certain that this would be a good “illustration” of the destruction of the Jewish people, but there is no evidence that Jesus intended it as such, and without such evidence we have no right to say that was its meaning. “And presently the fig-tree withered away.” That is, before another day. See Mark. It is probable that they were passing directly onward, and did not stop then to consider it. Matthew does not affirm that it withered “away in their presence,” and Mark affirms that they made the discovery on the morning after it was “cursed.”

Matthew 21:20
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

And when the disciples saw it – That is, on the morning following that on which it was cursed, Mark 11:20.

They marveled, saying … – Peter said this, Mark 11:21 Matthew means only to say that this was said to him; Mark tells us which one of them said it.

Matthew 21:21
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

Jesus answered and said … – Jesus took occasion from this to establish their faith in God, Mark 11:22

He told them that any difficulty could be overcome by faith. To remove a mountain denotes the power of surmounting or removing any difficulty. The phrase was so used by the Jews. There is no doubt that this was “literally” true – that if “they had the faith of miracles,” they could remove the mountain before them – the Mount of Olives – for this was as easy for God to do by them as to heal the sick or raise the dead. But the Saviour rather referred, probably, to the difficulties and trials which they would be called to endure in preaching the gospel.

Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

And all things … – He adds an encouragement for them to pray, assuring them that they should have all things which they asked.

This promise was evidently a special one, given to them in regard to working miracles. To them it was true, but it is manifest that we have no right to apply this promise to ourselves. It was desired especially for the apostles; nor have we a right to turn it from its original meaning. There are other promises in, abundance on which we “may” rely in prayer, with confident assurance that our prayers will be heard. Compare the notes at Matthew 7:7-11.

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.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Healer, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Jesus (hearing from God), Justice / Judgment, Miracles, Miracles, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Righteous, Salvation, Traditions / Holidays, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Righteous Anger Can Be Productive

After Jesus enters Jerusalem for the Passover feast, and to be crucified, buried and resurrected for our sins, He visits the temple. In Matthew 21, we are reminded that there is such as thing as righteous anger from God against those who profane what He has declared to be holy… to be set aside for His purposes. God is not just love, but is righteous and holy and absolutely feels righteous anger against us when we break His commands and instructions, especially when we know better, or should.

Matthew 21:12-17

12And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den”.

14And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” 17And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

God’s temple is to be set aside as holy, for God’s purposes, not just as market to sell things. So, too are other things which God commands, such as the Sabbath. It is to be set aside to honor God and obey His commands, not profaned or made common by work. God commanded us to celebrate Sabbath on the seventh day of the week from Genesis and reinforced it through the life of Jesus as He did so without fail. (In the Jewish calendar, days start at sundown, so Sabbath actually starts Friday at sundown and ends Saturday at sundown. Sunday was introduced by tradition of men in contradiction to God’s commands.) What God sets apart as holy, we are not to make common. We should keep it holy, whether it is the temple, or the Sabbath, or other things God sets apart as holy.

Notice that Jesus focused the expression of His righteous anger productively. He did not lash out at everyone or everything. He rebuked harshly those doing wrong and then turned and embraced those in need who were seeking Him. He was not out of control.

Jesus, after disrupting the market, welcomed the blind and lame to be healed at the temple. All the chief priests and scribes could do is stand indignant, disregarding the miracles Jesus  performed, and disregarding the truth of who He was. They should have known better, but were unwilling to submit to God when His teaching was different from their traditions of men. They were so blinded by their religion and traditions of men, that theses esteemed and studied scholars of scripture could not recognize Jesus as the Christ and Messiah, even when it was so obvious that even the children could see it. They called out “Hosanna to the Son of David,”.

The chief priests and scribes challenged Jesus that He should deny such a claim, but He did the opposite. He accepted it and rebuked the religious leaders.

Jesus clearly claimed to be the Christ and Messiah. He is not “a good man” or a “good teacher” or a “good prophet”. Jesus Christ is either God, as He claimed, or he is a madman or a liar.  Judaism and Islam have made a significant error in their assessment of Jesus Christ. Jesus is God and to deny Him is to deny the offer of salvation through grace by faith.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to avoid unrighteous anger but also to avoid being complacent in accepting things which are offensive to you. Please help me focus my righteous anger toward productive channels that can help to rebuke wrong and still embrace those who seek you with open arms. If I am rebuked for actions I am doing wrong, please help me not to resist wise correction because of pride or lack courage to change or lack of discernment to see my error. Help me to accept appropriate rebuke from others and make changes in my life. Help me not to miss you and your truth because I am too attached to my traditions and the traditions of family or man. Help me to see and recognize and worship You as the children did in today’s scripture. Father please grant these requests also for all those who are called by Your name. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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To Whom Shall We Turn When Defeat Seems Imminent?

We will all face challenges, and sometimes we as a people or nation may face significant challenges. The enemy is not always a foreign nation. It may be evil and wicked people from within our own nation. They come against the truth of God’s word and the freedom to fully live for God. Of course, for many Christians around the world, it may be very real that it is a militia or military or government intent on killing them for their faith. In the United States we are generally not that far gone yet, but we seem to be trending that direction.

To whom shall we turn when defeat seems imminent. Let’s read 2 Kings 19 and study the historical account of Hezekiah. We read in 2 Kings 18 that he was a righteous king, walking in the ways of the LORD. Do not miss that important scene set. We should always come before our LORD with clean and devoted heart, already repenting for our sins and way of doing things or ready to do so as we seek Him. We should not expect much in response from God if we ask Him for help to continue living in our own sinful ways and ignoring Him or blending what He tells us to do with the traditions of men and idol worship.

When Assyria confronted and was on the verge of overwhelming Hezekiah, he turned wholeheartedly and desperately to Yahweh. He knew the situation was beyond his strength to address.

2 Kings 19

Isaiah Encourages Hezekiah

      1And when King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth and entered the house of the LORD. 2Then he sent Eliakim who was over the household with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. 3They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and rejection; for children have come to birth and there is no strength to deliver. 4‘Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that is left.’” 5So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7“Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”

Sennacherib Defies God

      8Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. 9When he heard them say concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “Behold, he has come out to fight against you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah saying, 10“Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you saying, “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 11‘Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be spared? 12‘Did the gods of those nations which my fathers destroyed deliver them, even Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? 13‘Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

Hezekiah’s Prayer

      14Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 15Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16“Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. 17“Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands 18and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. 19“Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.”

God’s Answer through Isaiah

      20Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you.’

21“This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him:
‘She has despised you and mocked you,
The virgin daughter of Zion;
She has shaken her head behind you,
The daughter of Jerusalem!

      22‘Whom have you reproached and blasphemed?
And against whom have you raised your voice,
And haughtily lifted up your eyes?
Against the Holy One of Israel!

      23‘Through your messengers you have reproached the Lord,
And you have said, “With my many chariots
I came up to the heights of the mountains,
To the remotest parts of Lebanon;
And I cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypresses.
And I entered its farthest lodging place, its thickest forest.

      24“I dug wells and drank foreign waters,
And with the sole of my feet I dried up
All the rivers of Egypt.”

      25‘Have you not heard?
Long ago I did it;
From ancient times I planned it.
Now I have brought it to pass,
That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

      26‘Therefore their inhabitants were short of strength,
They were dismayed and put to shame;
They were as the vegetation of the field and as the green herb,
As grass on the housetops is scorched before it is grown up.

      27‘But I know your sitting down,
And your going out and your coming in,
And your raging against Me.

      28‘Because of your raging against Me,
And because your arrogance has come up to My ears,
Therefore I will put My hook in your nose,
And My bridle in your lips,
And I will turn you back by the way which you came.

      29‘Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 30‘The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 31‘For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the LORD will perform this.

      32‘Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, “He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it. 33“By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,”’ declares the LORD. 34‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”

      35Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead. 36So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh. 37It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.

Notice that Hezekiah’s prayer focused not only on the needs of the people but also considered the situation from God’s point of view. His name and reputation were being blasphemed by Assyria.

Also, as we can see in the end, God can bring victory or defeat regardless of seemingly overwhelming odds in the eyes of man.

What challenges do you need to bring before Yahweh today relating to you personally, your family, your community, the body of Christ, your state or nation?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, You and you alone are God. There are none like you. Bring me (and your people everywhere) to a point of humility and dependence on you. Help us to turn from our sins and our own ways and embrace your ways fully. Open our eyes to all you would have us do and how you would have us live. Deliver us from the wicked who come against us and against your name. Defeat the wicked and raise up the righteous. Open the eyes of the wicked to convert them so they would become your champions instead of your enemies. Help comfort and protect and lift up your people everywhere. Amen

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Rely on Yahweh Rather than Your Own Power

In the first 13 verses of 2 Kings, we discover that Hezekiah was a righteous king. He did right in the eyes of the LORD. He tore down false idols and long held traditions that were not in keeping with the LORD’s instructions. He walked in the ways of his father David. He trusted in the LORD. The LORD gave him success as a result. Wherever he went the LORD gave him victory. Imagine his surprise when he encountered very real and significant setbacks and defeat at the hands of Assyria when he rebelled against them.

Of course, we can note that there is no reference that the LORD told Hezekiah to revolt against Assyria. Nor is there any reference as we read through 2 kings 18 that Hezekiah called upon the LORD for help against the Assyrians. We could speculate that he likely did because he was a righteous man in all he did, but we must also recognize that he may not have.

In either case, he faces defeat by Assyria. He plunders his own treasury to try to appease them and ultimately they still come to lay siege on Jerusalem. It is ultimately in 2 Kings 19, at a point of absolute desperation, that Hezekiah is noted as seeking the LORD and the LORD responds by granting victory.

As we continue in 2 Kings below, Hezekiah

2 Kings 18:13-37

Invasion of Judah

13Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria marched against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. 14Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent messengers to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong.  Withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will endure.” So the king of Assyria imposed on Hezekiah king of Judah the payment of three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15Hezekiah then gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the doorposts, which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and he gave it to the king of Assyria.

17Then the king of Assyria sent Tartan, Rab-saris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a large army to Jerusalem. So they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they went up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the road of the fuller’s field. 18Then they called to the king, and Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the household, Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the secretary, went out to them.

19And Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: “What is this confidence that you have? 20You say—but they are only empty words—‘I have a plan and strength for the war.’ Now on whom have you relied, that you have revolted against me? 21Now behold, you have relied on the support of this broken reed, on Egypt; on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. That is how Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on him. 22However, if you say to me, ‘We have trusted in the LORD our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’? 23Now then, come make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to put riders on them! 24How then can you drive back even one official of the least of my master’s servants, and rely on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 25Have I now come up without the LORD’S approval against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’”’”

26Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Speak now to your servants in Aramaic, because we understand it; and do not speak with us in Judean so that the people who are on the wall hear you.” 27But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words? Has he not also sent me to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

28Then Rabshakeh stood up and shouted with a loud voice in Judean, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29This is what the king says: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to save you from my hand. 30And do not let Hezekiah lead you to trust in the LORD by saying, “The LORD will certainly save us, and this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” 31Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: “Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat, each one, from his vine and each from his fig tree, and drink, each one, the waters of his own cistern, 32until I come and take you to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees producing oil, and of honey, so that you will live and not die.” But do not listen to Hezekiah, because he misleads you by saying, “The LORD will save us.” 33Has any of the gods of the nations actually saved his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they saved Samaria from my hand? 35Who among all the gods of the lands are there who have saved their land from my hand, that the LORD would save Jerusalem from my hand?’”

36But the people were silent and did not answer him with even a word, because it was the king’s command: “Do not answer him.” 37Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the secretary, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they reported to him the words of Rabshakeh.

As I reflect on 2 Kings 18 and 19, I see a message for all of us. It is good for us to walk in the ways of the LORD and reject all others. It is good for us in building relationship with our God and also in inviting His blessing upon us according to His covenant with His people. Even so, we will encounter major challenges and setbacks at times. Yeshua Himself says in Matthew 7:25 that storms will come against us. It is imperative for us to build our foundation on solid relationship and submission to our Father.

24“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and [t]acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell and the [u]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not [v]act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell and the [w]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.”

When the storms came for Hezekiah, it appears he got focused on how to solve the problem in his own power, likely hoping the LORD would deliver victory. When we see he had success is when he came desperately before the LORD, recognizing his own inability to address the situation and asking the LORD to fight for him.

I suppose it is also fair to note that the king of Assyria did himself no favors by blaspheming Yahweh. We should make personal note of that also.

In both cases, remember that no matter how powerful or weak we may be in our own strength, it is ultimately the LORD who brings victory.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me (and all your people) to be humble and submitted to you in all our ways. Show us error and lead us in courage and wisdom to turn from it. Help us build our foundation on the solid rock of your word. Help us to seek and rely on you when we face trials and challenges and defeat. Let us not rely on our own power. Thank you LORD for your hand of blessing for those who submit and obey and walk in your ways. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You alone are God. There are none like you!

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Will We Follow Man’s Ways? or God’s?

We have been reading through 2 Kings about a line of kings who did evil in the LORD’s sight and led the people in false worship. Finally, we get to one who is righteous. Hezekiah becomes king of Judah. As we read through chapter 18-19  we will see that not everything goes his way. He faces significant adversity. However, when he turns to the LORD, He is victorious. As we begin in 2 Kings 18, we can see that the righteousness of Hezekiah is something special compared to all the other kings. We can also directly contrast his success to the failure of Israel, his neighbor, and the Bible clearly specifies that the reason is their refusal to obey God’s covenant with them.

2 Kings 18:1-12

Hezekiah Reigns over Judah

      1Now it came about in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king. 2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. 4He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. 5He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. 6For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses.

Hezekiah Victorious

      7And the LORD was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

      9Now in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. 10At the end of three years they captured it; in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was captured. 11Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and put them in Halah and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded; they would neither listen nor do it.

I would hope that God would think of me as He describes Hezekiah. I aspire to that, but I know I fall short. We should all aspire to that.  He took on great cultural and emotional change and led the people through it. I am sure it was not easy. So many before him failed to do it. I can look in my personal life and see how transitioning from certain sentimental family traditions or cultural norms to focus more and more on following the LORD have been very difficult, even within my own family. We should not make light of his accomplishments and dedication to the LORD based on the assumption it was easy because he was king. I doubt it was easy. People do not easily give up their traditions and false beliefs of generations.

As a result of his righteousness, he was very blessed as was Judah. By contrast, Israel continued to suffer defeat due to their disobedience to God’s covenant.

Do not think of this as some far off historical event that is interesting but not practical. Recognize how this applies in each of our lives today and forever. The principle is seeking to know the LORD and then leave behind whatever separates us from walking in His ways and His commands, no matter how difficult. We must be courageous and put Him first above all. We must be willing to face and overcome conflict and resistance in many different forms.  We must place our faith entirely in our Father’s hands and obey.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to seek you passionately and diligently… to know, love and serve you fully.  Help me to lay down the bad things that are not your ways and help me to have courage and wisdom in conflict. Lead me in your ways and bless me. Please help all those who are called by your name to do likewise so that we would be a body of Christ that truly shines as a light to the world to draw others to you. Let not the traditions of family or men keep us from walking completely in your ways. Raise up righteous leaders and teachers to lead the people. Bring forth workers for the harvest. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do Not Mix and Mingle the LORD’s Ways With Those of Other Gods

The LORD is to have a singular place of honor and respect and devotion above all else in our lives. The LORD is not satisfied to be one of your gods that you fear and worship. He is to be “THE” God you fear and worship. It matters to Him that we observe the statutes and ordinances of the Law for ever. As you read 2 Kings, focus on verses 36-39.

36“But the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice. 37“The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods. 38“The covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. 39“But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

Of course, note the context in the broader scripture below. The LORD brought defeat to the people of Israel because they worshipped and feared other gods and did not walk in the ways of His statutes and ordinances. They did evil in His sight. We pick up in verse 24 as the King of Assyria brings in people from outside Israel to populate the land after carrying off the Israelites.

2 Kings 17:24-41

Cities of Israel Filled with Strangers

      24The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from Avva and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities. 25At the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them which killed some of them. 26So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have carried away into exile in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so he has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them because they do not know the custom of the god of the land.”

      27Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Take there one of the priests whom you carried away into exile and let him go and live there; and let him teach them the custom of the god of the land.” 28So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

      29But every nation still made gods of its own and put them in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived. 30The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim. 32They also feared the LORD and appointed from among themselves priests of the high places, who acted for them in the houses of the high places. 33They feared the LORD and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile.

      34To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the LORD commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He named Israel; 35with whom the LORD made a covenant and commanded them, saying, “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down yourselves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them. 36“But the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice. 37“The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods. 38“The covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. 39“But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” 40However, they did not listen, but they did according to their earlier custom. 41So while these nations feared the LORD, they also served their idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this day.

We are to remain a pure and set apart, or holy, people, dedicated to the LORD and His ways. In many ways our church has over the past several thousand years and also continues to blend with the culture and beliefs of those who do not follow Christ. A simple example is those that claim Christ and use the Bible, but then support abortion and homosexuality, which the LORD speaks against very clearly in the Bible. Other examples include the mixing and mingling of Christian concepts and teachings on top of pagan celebrations like Christmas or even Halloween. Instead of being set apart, we blend in. This is not what we are called to do. How can we be a light if we blend in with those around us? How can we be the salt of the earth if we bring no flavor? (Matthew 5:13-16)

By contrast, there is widespread ignorance about the feasts and celebrations the LORD has called us to celebrate, all of which focus on our relationship with Him. (For more on this topic, see our category of page Celebrating God’s Holy Days, which includes a list of resources on this subject.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead me in wisdom and discernment. Help me to joyfully follow you and only you. Grant me a passion to study and learn your ways and the courage to turn from the ways of man in which I am already accustomed even when it creates conflict with those close to me. Help me to share your wonderful ways with others and help them be receptive to learn alongside me. Help all those called by your name around the world to turn from the ways of men and turn toward your ways. Send more workers to help with the harvest. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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