Category Archives: Trinity

Children, Father / Yahweh, Parenting, Traditions / Holidays

Guided by YHWH: Embodying the Qualities of a Good Father

Good fathers should pursue after Christ and be spiritual leaders in their family. They should put YHWH first, their wife next and then the children in their priority list and then actually live their lives according to that standard. YHWH has said much about what it means to be a good father. It need not be a mystery.

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Psalm 103:13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

Psalm 127:3-5 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

Luke 11:11-12 “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? “Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?

Joshua 24:14-15 “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15“If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Perhaps some scripture does not explicitly call out “fathers”, but as in Joshua 24:14-15… he demonstrates the role of a good father as a strong leader for his family committed to serving YHWH even if others refuse to do so. Psalm 127:3-5 shows a good father feels blessed to have received the gift of children.

There are many more such scriptures. I encourage you to do an internet search for “Bible scriptures about good fathers” and invest time to dive deeper. In fact, YHWH gives us the metaphor to think of Him like a Father and He is perfect. Thus we can learn a lot about being a good father from studying how He relates to His people.

Good fathers are not perfect… there is only one perfect Father. On behalf of all those fathers out there who are trying to lead, protect and provide for their families, we appreciate your grace and forgiveness when we get it wrong, and we welcome your prayers and encouragement on our behalf so we may become better and better at what YHWH has called us to be… fathers.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for the righteous fathers that are trying to lead their families in Your ways. Please help and encourage fathers to lead and love their families actively. Help fathers reflect Your character traits and be a light to others that do not know You and  godly example to their children. 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, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Miracles, Miracles, Share the Good News, Thankfulness

Uncontainable Joy: Proclaiming the Power of Jesus

Those who truly know the power of Jesus can hardly contain themselves from telling others. They proclaim it joyfully and boldly. We should be careful not to get so comfortable in our walk with Him that we become complacent in living our lives and not proclaiming Him to others. Take note how it is often new believers, or those who truly were lost or ill and have been physically saved as well as spiritually saved that have an uncontainable enthusiasm about Jesus. Mark 1 provides a great example… even though Jesus instructed him not to tell others, the man could not contain his joy and amazement. He proclaimed Jesus joyfully everywhere he went. Many heard and came to seek Jesus.

Mark 1:40-45

    40And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, 44and He said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.

We could have an interesting discussion on why Jesus asked this man not to tell others, but none the less, let us take time to understand what joy and thankfulness filled this man after being healed. He could not contain himself.

Prayerfully reflect on your own life. Do you still have that enthusiasm that the man did in Mark 1? Do you tell others everywhere you go? Do you tell anyone whom you meet that is not already in church or close to you? If you did tell others, is your life different in such a way as to reflect that you follow Jesus?

Let us pray that God would help us to proclaim Him boldly and never loose our enthusiasm to tell others how our lives have been changed because of Jesus. Let us change our lives to reflect love and obedience in following Jesus. Let us be a light to those who do not yet know Him!

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.

Demons, Healer, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Spiritual Warfare

Faith in God Amidst Unanswered Prayers for Healing

Jesus did not come to heal every physical sickness or cast out every demon. This is sometimes difficult for people to accept. If they see others healed, but not the person they hope for, they often choose to dismiss that it was really God helping to heal others.

“Why would God heal some but not others?

We do not know that answer. There are many aspects worth highlighting. Faith is required. People came to Jesus, rather than waiting for Him to come to them. Jesus came to spread the truth of the gospel and lead people to right relationship with God by teaching and living the commands of God recorded in the Old Testament and to die as sacrifice for all of our sins so we could all have a chance to go to be reconciled to God regardless of our past sins and separation from Him. He did not come to heal every sickness and cast out every demon.

Let us take a simple example in Mark 1. He heals many and casts out demons. But he leaves while there are still yet others to be healed and set free. Why? Jesus tells us in verse 38.

Mark 1:29-39

Crowds Healed

      29And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. 31And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.

      32When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. 33And the whole city had gathered at the door. 34And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

      35In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. 36Simon and his companions searched for Him; 37they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 38He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” 39And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.

Jesus came to preach truth to many, not to heal everyone in one location. Miracles and healing were a helpful part of His ministry to demonstrate who He was to those around Him.

For any of you who may be angry, sad or confused about why someone you love was not healed… take heart. You can trust in our heavenly Father and in His plans and His decisions. We are to come to the Father through Jesus. We can petition Him with our needs and desires. Then we are to trust Him in His decisions, even when we disagree or do not understand… as a small child must trust his or her parents even when they say “no”.

Pray for God to help you with any hurt you are still dealing with in this area. Seek others you trust to pray with you. Reflect on all the signs and miracles God has given us that He is God and we can trust Him. Follow in the example of Jesus to come to the Father.

To study more teachings about prayer, consider our teachings:

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

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.

Am I on the path?, Discerning / Judging, False Prophets / Teachers, Jesus (hearing from God), Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Study the Word, Teachable

Yeshua: The Source of Truth Amidst False Prophets and Cultural Norms

To put it simply, Yeshua is different from other teachers. He is different from the established religion that is taught in many churches or synagogues.  He has authority. He has the ability to work miracles. Immediately upon beginning to teach, people recognized He was no ordinary teacher. That is because Jesus was God in the flesh who came to dwell among us.

Mark 1:21-28

      21They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach. 22They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 25And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. 27They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.

Yeshua still has power and authority that others do not. Those who follow Him should teach boldly and with authority as well, though with a certain amount of humility. There is only one way and Yeshua is it. We should expect the fellowship of true believers to reflect their leader. When congregations or communities lift up Yeshua as their leader we should be able to see that they are different than other communities in the world. We should expect them to NOT conform to the cultural norms but to God’s word.

Many false prophets will try to fake miracles and try to teach as if they have authority, even though they teach false doctrine. We must study the scriptures ourselves daily and test teachers (you should test me also!) against scripture. We are only to follow those who teach the truth about Yeshua, consistent with what scripture teaches. Do not follow teachers just because they have a lot of people in their building every week or a lot of followers on Facebook.

As we look for whom we should follow, let us make sure it is Yeshua and not a “celebrity” pastor. We should follow the example of Yeshua and study scripture. We should seek truth and live by it even when it is in conflict with what an established church may teach. We should help pastors by holding them accountable to God’s word, even when it is unpopular. Of course we can study and learn from many different pastors, but none should be looked upon as the source of knowledge and all must be recognized to be capable of error. Let us do these things respectfully and with grace and humility.

Yeshua is most definitely different from the world. So, too, we should expect our church fellowship to be different as well. Let us choose wisely our church family and teachers. Let us seek many counselors and teachers and test everything against the word of God. Let us humbly seek God’s help in prayer for this important matter.

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.

Am I on the path?, Faith / Trusting God, How do I get started?, Jesus (hearing from God), Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Submitted / Servant

The Simple Path: Repent, Believe, and Follow Yeshua

There is much to be said and studied about the teaching of our Messiah, Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus). We can and should study for a lifetime and continue to seek how we can apply what He taught in our lives on a daily basis. To be a disciple of Christ is to learn His ways and follow. Lest we get overwhelmed and lose focus on what is important… we can capture a very simple summary in Mark 1 as he shares the beginning of Yeshua’s public ministry.

Mark 1:14-20

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

      14Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

      16As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.

The message is actually quite concise.

15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

The time is fulfilled. Yeshua was fulfilling the prophecies about a Messiah that had long been anticipated.  The kingdom of God is at hand… His earthly ministry was a key part of the kingdom of God and the time was here. So what are we to do? Repent and believe in the gospel.

To repent is to turn away from our wrong way of doing things and turn toward God’s way. To believe in the gospel is to believe Yeshua is God become man to walk among us… to die for our sins and rise again from the dead. It is not simply to acknowledge Him with words, but for those who believe wholeheartedly, it transforms and then directs their life.

Beyond repentance, if we are to be disciples and followers of Christ, we must stop what other things we are focused on and follow Him. Simon, Andrew, James and John did not have all the answers. They chose to follow Yeshua and left behind everything that was familiar to them. They put Yeshua first, above even their family. That is not to say family is not important, but sometimes they can hold you back from devoting yourself to Yeshua fully. James and John had to leave the family fishing business behind in this case.

What a wonderfully simple (though not always easy) summary of how to get started with Yeshua! Recognize and acknowledge who He is, repent and turn toward God, and follow Yeshua to pick up the rest of what God has in store for you. You do not need to know all of God’s plans for you in order to get out of the fishing boat and begin to follow Him.

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.

Baptism, Father / Yahweh, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Speaking, Spiritual Warfare, Temptation/Tempting

The Significance of Jesus’ Baptism and Temptation: Insights from Mark’s Gospel

All four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) are written at the prompting and divine inspiration of Yahweh. However, they are influenced by the men through whom Yahweh worked to write them and by the audiences they were intended to reach (e.g. Jew or Gentile). There are common threads throughout all the gospels which unite them and demonstrate consistency, and yet they cover history from different perspectives and with different focuses.

Mark begins his gospel by first telling us quickly about John the Baptist and then moves immediately to the baptism of Jesus. He does not dwell on the birth of Christ or even His eternal existence, the word of God that existed in the beginning, as the other gospels do. Mark begins with Jesus’ earthly ministry as a starting point.

Mark 1:9-13

The Baptism of Jesus

      9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; 11and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

      12Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.

Let us pause, then to reflect, that the baptism is significant as it symbolically indicates the start of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Jesus did not need to be cleansed or make a public commitment in order to obey the Father or serve Him, but Jesus is showing us that there is value in publicly declaring your faith before witnesses.

It is interesting to note that the Father was well pleased with Jesus even before He started His public ministry. The Father knows our hearts and is pleased with us based on our love and desire for obedience to Him… our faith. He does not wait for us to demonstrate great works to be pleased with us, though works done consistent with God’s word and for His glory are wonderful and do please Him.

We could cross reference other gospels to get more information about the baptism and about the temptation in the wilderness, but Mark moves through these items quickly… though he does indeed include them here.

One observation I believe to be true is that, as with the case of Jesus, Satan will come against those who are trying to surrender their lives to Yahweh by following in the example of Jesus. Satan came to tempt Jesus when He was weakened (fasting) and alone (in the wilderness) and quickly after Jesus publicly declared His submission to the Father through baptism. Satan will try to derail and discourage new believers in this way. We must take heed to support them at this vulnerable moment as they begin their journey with Christ.

Keep a sharp eye out and pray the Holy Spirit would guide you to find and support those new believers when they need your help most. Then choose to take the time to help them, even if you are busy and it is not convenient.

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.

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

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

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

Jeremiah 18

The Potter and the Clay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Jesus Set Us Free from the Law of Sin and Death, Not From God’s Law via Moses

As a reminder of context, in writing to the Galatians Paul was confronting what appears to be a turn toward legalism… putting faith in salvation in obedience to the law. He strongly rebukes the people to put their faith in salvation only in Christ Jesus. He is not condemning circumcision or the law, but rather the idea of putting our faith into those things so that we would be saved instead of Jesus. While we should clearly avoid thinking of the law as salvation, let us recognize that Paul identifies in this very same passage that the law can be summarized as loving your neighbor as yourself. Thus the law can’t be bad in and of itself. It serves as a good guide. For those of us who are Spirit-filled and submitted to the Spirit, Paul argues that we will not “need” the law. However, let us not lose sight of the fact that the Spirit will not lead you inconsistently with the law and instructions of God. Both are focused on loving God and loving one another… God’s way.

Let us all invite the Spirit in to fill us and lead us as followers of Christ. Recognize the law has no power to save us, only through faith in Christ can we be saved. However, the law has been and remains a helpful guide in understanding what we should do and not do. We must study and pray for the Spirit to lead us, however. There are aspects of the law, such as animal sacrifices, which are no longer relevant given Christ’s death for us. Let us also take care not to confuse the many man made “laws” or rules that are not of God but have been added. Let us stick to the Bible and not the rules of men that have been added and are so burdensome as to overwhelm anyone.

As we decide which aspects of God’s law are meaningful and which we believe may no longer be… let us look for scripture to understand which have been fulfilled and not take such a simplified approach as to throw all the law out on the assumption that we no longer need God’s guide. It still has value to help many who are not Spirit filled or fully submitted to God’s Spirit. It is a good check or validation to many of us as well as to whether our flesh may be leading us astray in some areas in our life as it battles for control with our submission to the Spirit.

Galatians 5

Walk by the Spirit

     1It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

      2Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

      7You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. 9A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. 10I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. 12I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.

      13For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 15But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

      16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

      25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Pray the Spirit would fill God’s people around the world and overwhelm the desires of the flesh such that we would have a revival around the globe.

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.

Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Father / Yahweh, Obeying God, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Returning to God: Rediscovering His Ways for a Blessed Life

The first 18 verses of Jeremiah 17 bring attention to how Israel had turned away from the LORD. They were doing their own thing. They were not living unto the LORD and obeying His instructions. In that context, Jeremiah was to proclaim the Sabbath with a warning to obey and experience blessing or disobey and experience discipline.

God wanted the hearts of the people turned back toward Him. He wants this still today! Too many of us have turned away to go our own way or follow what everyone else is doing. We have lost much of what God calls us to do, including truly observing the Sabbath as one example. Sabbath was more than simply resting, it was a sign between God and His people (Ezekiel 20:20).

Jeremiah 17:19-27

The Sabbath Must Be Kept

      19Thus the LORD said to me, “Go and stand in the public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as in all the gates of Jerusalem; 20and say to them, ‘Listen to the word of the LORD, kings of Judah, and all Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates: 21‘Thus says the LORD, “Take heed for yourselves, and do not carry any load on the sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. 22“You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the sabbath day nor do any work, but keep the sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers. 23“Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction.

      24“But it will come about, if you listen attentively to Me,” declares the LORD, “to bring no load in through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to keep the sabbath day holy by doing no work on it, 25then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26“They will come in from the cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the LORD. 27“But if you do not listen to Me to keep the sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem and not be quenched.”’”

Challenge yourself to seek out God’s ways. Do not judge based on church norms or cultural norms. Dive into the Bible and study to see how God has instructed us to live. What guidance has He given His people? The Sabbath is one example. God instructs us to observe the Sabbath and tells us it was made for our benefit.  As one who grew up ignoring the Sabbath and has not started observing it for over 10 years, I can say that I see tremendous benefit that I did not know I was missing. The same is true for instructions He has given. Let us rediscover God’s ways and apply them in our lives.

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

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

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

The Ultimate Act of Love: Reflections on Memorial Day

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

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

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

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

John 15:12-17

Disciples’ Relation to Each Other

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

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

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

I invite you to pray with me:

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

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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