Category Archives: Trinity

Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Merciful

Yahweh Is a God of Restoration

Yahweh is a God of restoration. Even when He brings discipline to His people that results in challenges and suffering, His heart and His plans are toward restoration.

I am so glad that He forgives and heals and restores! I am glad that my mistakes are not so big that I cannot be reconciled to God.

We should follow this example personally as well with relationships in our lives. There may be times of separation or difficult consequences, but our heart should  be toward restoration of relationships if the person/people involved turn from whatever wickedness or difficulty created the rift in the first place.

If we created the rift, then we should repent, ask forgiveness, and seek restoration.

Jeremiah 33

Restoration Promised

      1Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still confined in the court of the guard, saying, 2“Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it, the LORD is His name, 3‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ 4“For thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah which are broken down to make a defense against the siege ramps and against the sword, 5‘While they are coming to fight with the Chaldeans and to fill them with the corpses of men whom I have slain in My anger and in My wrath, and I have hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness: 6‘Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth. 7‘I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel and will rebuild them as they were at first. 8‘I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me. 9‘It will be to Me a name of joy, praise and glory before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good that I do for them, and they will fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.’

      10“Thus says the LORD, ‘Yet again there will be heard in this place, of which you say, “It is a waste, without man and without beast,” that is, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast,

11the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say,
“Give thanks to the LORD of hosts,
For the LORD is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting”;
and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of the LORD. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says the LORD.

      12“Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘There will again be in this place which is waste, without man or beast, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds who rest their flocks. 13‘In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the Negev, in the land of Benjamin, in the environs of Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who numbers them,’ says the LORD.

The Davidic Kingdom

      14‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15‘In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. 16‘In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the LORD is our righteousness.’ 17“For thus says the LORD, ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices continually.’”

      19The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 20“Thus says the LORD, ‘If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, 21then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. 22‘As the host of heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’”

      23And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 24“Have you not observed what this people have spoken, saying, ‘The two families which the LORD chose, He has rejected them’? Thus they despise My people, no longer are they as a nation in their sight. 25“Thus says the LORD, ‘If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, 26then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.’”

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, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Seeking God

A Question We Each Must Answer: Who Do We Say Jesus Is?

The answer to this question should define our life. “Who do we say Jesus is?” If He is God, then what will we do about it? How will we let that shape our lives?

Yeshua poses important questions to Peter in Mark 8. “Who do people say that I am?” and “But who do you say that I am?” Few reasonable people can debate the true existence of the historical Yeshua who lived, taught the word of God, suffered and died and then rose from the dead. The evidence is overwhelming for those who actually consider it without bias against it. Some make up different excuses. Some say Yeshua was just a prophet, or a good teacher, but some of us fully embrace the truth of who He is… like Peter.

Mark 8:27-30

Peter’s Confession of Christ

      27Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” 28They told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.” 29And He continued by questioning them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” 30And He warned them to tell no one about Him.

It is interesting that we see another example where Yeshua instructs someone not tell anyone He is Messiah. This is very different than we expect when we think of pastors and others who want to put titles on themselves and draw attention to increase their status or number of followers. For Yeshua, it was not yet His time. Yeshua was not worried about His personal status, but rather doing the will of the Father.  Later the disciples were instructed to go and tell all the nations about Him.

Many people say many different things about Yeshua. Some claim He was only a good teacher or a prophet.  The question for each of us is “Who do we say that Yeshua is?” It is an important question. How we answer the question should impact how we live. It is not a question of low significance. For those to whom the LORD has revealed it, let us embrace Him as Messiah. He is indeed God Himself, who came as one of us to live among us. He died for our sins so that we could be reconciled to the Father.

If we truly believe this about Yeshua, then our lives should be transformed to seek wholeheartedly after Him and our actions should reflect that belief. We will truly then be a different from the world and be a light to others who do not yet know Him.

Ask yourself, is your life a testimony to Yeshua in this way? If not, reflect on what changes you should make and ask the LORD to help.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me truly embrace Yeshua as Messiah. Help me to be transformed and my life to be a light to draw others to You. Let me not walk as if my life is not affected by this knowledge of Yeshua as Messiah. Let it impact every aspect of my life. Help me to lay down my ways and the ways of men and follow Him. 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.

Am I on the path?, Church / Body of Christ, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Marriage

Pursue Both Spouse and Savior With Passion And Admiration

If you browse or study Song of Solomon you will likely come across the thought that it not only represents the love and passion of a husband and wife for one another, but also picks up on the metaphor raised elsewhere in scripture of the body of Christ as the bride and Christ as the husband.

With both in mind note the passion in Song of Solomon 5. Note the anxiety and torment of separation. Note how we are to look upon our spouse and savior… with admiration. With Christ, there are no flaws; some would think that is easy to admire. Take care, however, because the world is constantly trying to redefine what is right and good and then make it appear that Christ and those who follow Him are bad. Also, we are vulnerable to acknowledging His good and admirable traits, but sometimes without true passion to pursue Him. We may not give Him our full attention and focus.

With our spouses, of course we all have flaws. While flaws need to be acknowledged, prayed for, and dealt with, let us focus on those things that are admirable about our spouse and do so passionately.

Song of Solomon 5

The Torment of Separation

     1“I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
I have drunk my wine and my milk.
Eat, friends;
Drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers.”

      2“I was asleep but my heart was awake.
A voice! My beloved was knocking:
‘Open to me, my sister, my darling,
My dove, my perfect one!
For my head is drenched with dew,
My locks with the damp of the night.’

      3“I have taken off my dress,
How can I put it on again?
I have washed my feet,
How can I dirty them again?

      4“My beloved extended his hand through the opening,
And my feelings were aroused for him.

      5“I arose to open to my beloved;
And my hands dripped with myrrh,
And my fingers with liquid myrrh,
On the handles of the bolt.

      6“I opened to my beloved,
But my beloved had turned away and had gone!
My heart went out to him as he spoke.
I searched for him but I did not find him;
I called him but he did not answer me.

      7“The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
They struck me and wounded me;
The guardsmen of the walls took away my shawl from me.

      8“I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
As to what you will tell him:
For I am lovesick.”

      9“What kind of beloved is your beloved,
O most beautiful among women?
What kind of beloved is your beloved,
That thus you adjure us?”

Admiration by the Bride

     10“My beloved is dazzling and ruddy,
Outstanding among ten thousand.

      11“His head is like gold, pure gold;
His locks are like clusters of dates
And black as a raven.

      12“His eyes are like doves
Beside streams of water,
Bathed in milk,
And reposed in their setting.

      13“His cheeks are like a bed of balsam,
Banks of sweet-scented herbs;
His lips are lilies
Dripping with liquid myrrh.

      14“His hands are rods of gold
Set with beryl;
His abdomen is carved ivory
Inlaid with sapphires.

      15“His legs are pillars of alabaster
Set on pedestals of pure gold;
His appearance is like Lebanon
Choice as the cedars.

      16“His mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.”

Don’t get lost in the metaphors used that may not resonate today the same way they did when written. Focus on the desire, the passion, the pursuit of spouse and savior. Then reflect on your life and consider if you are pursuing your spouse and your savior with that kind of passion. If not, ask God to help you and start focusing your mind on what is good and admirable about each as you pursue them more passionately in the future.

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

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

 

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Merciful, Protector / Deliverer, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Embrace Rather than Reject God’s Message Amidst Adversity

There are several themes of which to take note in Jeremiah 32. Consider them as you read the passage below.

  • Jeremiah brought the true word of God, and people did not want to hear it. He was imprisoned because of it. Do not expect everyone to embrace God’s message or messenger, especially when bringing correction. However, we are still called to carry out God’s instructions and deliver His word, even if it is hard.
  • Sometimes what God asks us to do will seem to have no effect on those to whom He sends us. Nevertheless, we are to do as He tells us.
  • It is not good for God’s people to stir up God’s wrath by rejecting Him and His ways. He is a loving father and will pursue them, even if He needs to discipline them harshly to get their attention.
  • Often, when God corrects us, he is doing it for our own benefit, and that of our children who come after us.
  • Even as God plans correction and rebuke, He has in mind reconciliation of His people to Himself.
  • Nothing is too difficult for God.

Jeremiah 32

Jeremiah Imprisoned

      1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2Now at that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the house of the king of Judah, 3because Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, “Why do you prophesy, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it; 4and Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye; 5and he will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him,” declares the LORD. “If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed”’?”

      6And Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 7‘Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you, saying, “Buy for yourself my field which is at Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.”’ 8“Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of the LORD and said to me, ‘Buy my field, please, that is at Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for you have the right of possession and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.

      9“I bought the field which was at Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle’s son, and I weighed out the silver for him, seventeen shekels of silver. 10“I signed and sealed the deed, and called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11“Then I took the deeds of purchase, both the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions and the open copy; 12and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle’s son and in the sight of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, before all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the guard. 13“And I commanded Baruch in their presence, saying, 14‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Take these deeds, this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, that they may last a long time.” 15‘For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”’

Jeremiah Prays and God Explains

      16“After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I prayed to the LORD, saying, 17‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, 18who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The LORD of hosts is His name; 19great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; 20who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day. 21‘You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror; 22and gave them this land, which You swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23‘They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made all this calamity come upon them. 24‘Behold, the siege ramps have reached the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, the famine and the pestilence; and what You have spoken has come to pass; and behold, You see it. 25‘You have said to me, O Lord GOD, “Buy for yourself the field with money and call in witnesses”—although the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’”

      26Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 27“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” 28Therefore thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it. 29“The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will enter and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses where people have offered incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger. 30“Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only evil in My sight from their youth; for the sons of Israel have been only provoking Me to anger by the work of their hands,” declares the LORD. 31“Indeed this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My wrath from the day that they built it, even to this day, so that it should be removed from before My face, 32because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their leaders, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33“They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction. 34“But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. 35“They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

      36“Now therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine and by pestilence.’ 37“Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. 38“They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. 40“I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. 41“I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. 42“For thus says the LORD, ‘Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them. 43‘Fields will be bought in this land of which you say, “It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” 44‘Men will buy fields for money, sign and seal deeds, and call in witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the environs of Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland and in the cities of the Negev; for I will restore their fortunes,’ declares the LORD.”

Take a few minutes and prayerfully reflect on the themes we highlighted before the scripture passage. Ask God to show you how they apply in your life today.

As you reflect on the discipline God’s people endured as described in this chapter of Jeremiah, consider God’s reasons.

 38“They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. 40“I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.

God was acting for their own good and the good of their children after them. He was not just being vindictive or mean or getting even. Like a good father with his children, God wants what is best for us.

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.

Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Marriage

Be Passionate in Your Feelings Toward Your Spouse and Toward Jesus

Some of the specific poetic language may not resonate in our time and culture (e.g. your hair is like a flock of goats), but don’t miss the sentiment of the passage. Solomon is truly excited about his bride, and yes it is ok to appreciate physical beauty in addition to beauty within the person, especially when directed at your spouse.

Song Of Solomon 4

Solomon’s Love Expressed 

     1“How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are!
Your eyes are like doves behind your veil;
Your hair is like a flock of goats
That have descended from Mount Gilead.

      2“Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes
Which have come up from their washing,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.

      3“Your lips are like a scarlet thread,
And your mouth is lovely.
Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate
Behind your veil.

      4“Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built with rows of stones
On which are hung a thousand shields,
All the round shields of the mighty men.

      5“Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle
Which feed among the lilies.

      6“Until the cool of the day
When the shadows flee away,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.

      7“You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
And there is no blemish in you.

      8“Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
May you come with me from Lebanon.
Journey down from the summit of Amana,
From the summit of Senir and Hermon,
From the dens of lions,
From the mountains of leopards.

      9“You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride;
You have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes,
With a single strand of your necklace.

      10“How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much better is your love than wine,
And the fragrance of your oils
Than all kinds of spices!

      11“Your lips, my bride, drip honey;
Honey and milk are under your tongue,
And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

      12“A garden locked is my sister, my bride,
A rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.

      13“Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates
With choice fruits, henna with nard plants,

      14Nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
With all the trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices.

      15“You are a garden spring,
A well of fresh water,
And streams flowing from Lebanon.”

      16“Awake, O north wind,
And come, wind of the south;
Make my garden breathe out fragrance,
Let its spices be wafted abroad.
May my beloved come into his garden
And eat its choice fruits!”

Let us all seek to care for both our internal and external beauty. Let us be good stewards of our bodies and our spirits. Let us seek to love our spouses and be excited about them and by them.  Continue to invest in the relationship over time.

Also, try to keep in mind that our relationship with Christ is compared metaphorically to a husband and wife with Christ as the husband and the church as the bride. We can be reminded that Jesus loves us, not in a sexual way, but the metaphor holds. He wants to be close to us. We should want to pursue Him as well and draw near.

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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.

Compassionate, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Miracles, Seeking God

Jesus Has Compassion on Those Who Seek Him

Most of us who have followed after Jesus for any amount of time, have likely heard of the time He fed five thousand people with just a few loaves and fish. It is an amazing miracle and we should never take it for granted. However, it strikes me also that there is another lesson we should take note of in this event.

Jesus and the apostles were seeking a secluded place to be by themselves. John the Baptist had been killed, the apostles were returning to share about their journeys to preach the gospel, and there was clear intent to find quiet time. The people saw them and were so hungry for a shepherd in Jesus that they hurried there ahead of Jesus and the apostles.

How should Jesus react? Go somewhere else to find privacy and “me time”? Nope. Jesus felt compassion on them. He took time to teach them many things and ultimately this gathering became a great witness to the deity of Jesus through a fantastic miracle. Jesus is flexible and responsive to the needs of others! He truly loves those who seek Him! He will not turn them away.

Mark 6:30-44

    30The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

Five Thousand Fed

      33The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. 34When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. 35When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and it is already quite late; 36send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat?” 38And He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. 40They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. 42They all ate and were satisfied, 43and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. 44There were five thousand men who ate the loaves.

Do you truly seek Jesus as these people did? or do you take Him for granted? It is an honest question we should all ask ourselves from time to time. We should be hungry for a Good Shepherd and seek after Jesus, well beyond the point of inconvenience to our daily lives. When we do, He will not turn us away, but instead stop and engage with us. Our Lord loves those who truly seek after Him and feels compassion for them.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your compassion and love for those who seek You. Help me to feel a passion to seek You, that drives me past the distractions and busyness of this world. Let me not be content without a personal relationship with You. Help me trust You and pursue You and help me be teachable, willing to learn and change my ways to live more like You and Your instruction. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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.

Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Marriage

The Enduring Beauty of Admiration in Marriage and in Our Relationship with Christ

Our culture will often downplay the love and attraction of spouses enjoying one another, while playing up the wrongful lusts of those who are not married as if they are somehow more romantic. We are always better off when we embrace YHWH’s ways. For those of us who are married, or engaged and soon to be married, it is good for us to look with admiration and love upon our spouse or future spouse.

Song of Solomon 2

The Bride’s Admiration

            1“I am the rose of Sharon,
The lily of the valleys.”

      2“Like a lily among the thorns,
So is my darling among the maidens.”

      3“Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
So is my beloved among the young men.
In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

      4“He has brought me to his banquet hall,
And his banner over me is love.

      5“Sustain me with raisin cakes,
Refresh me with apples,
Because I am lovesick.

      6“Let his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”

      7“I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field,
That you do not arouse or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”

      8“Listen! My beloved!
Behold, he is coming,
Climbing on the mountains,
Leaping on the hills!

      9“My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Behold, he is standing behind our wall,
He is looking through the windows,
He is peering through the lattice.

      10“My beloved responded and said to me,
‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along.

      11‘For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.

      12‘The flowers have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.

      13‘The fig tree has ripened its figs,
And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!’”

      14“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret place of the steep pathway,
Let me see your form,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your form is lovely.”

      15“Catch the foxes for us,
The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards,
While our vineyards are in blossom.”

      16“My beloved is mine, and I am his;
He pastures his flock among the lilies.

      17“Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle
Or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.”

We should take care to avoid believing the narrative that a bride should make sure she remains independent from her groom. That somehow she must not depend on him for provision, but must work in a job as well. It is perfectly good for a bride to embrace her groom and look for him to provide and look upon him with admiration. Similarly, let not the groom be so hungry for money that he insists the bride also work just so they can have more money and instead sacrifice the intended role of wife and mother in the family unit.

Do not stop looking upon one another in the way demonstrated in Song of Solomon 2 just because you have been married awhile, either. Continue to look upon one another in admiration and love.

As a bonus to consider, recall that God compares our relationship as the church to Jesus to that of a bride to her groom.  While this aspect is non-sexual, some of the same principles apply. Be passionate in your pursuit of Christ. Dwell on what is good in Him. Trust Him completely to provide.

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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, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus (hearing from God), Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Share the Good News

Lessons from Jesus’ Sending of the Twelve: Applying Their Ministry Today

Whether we seek to learn about Yeshua or to take His message to others, we should pay attention to the early ministry of Yeshua and His disciples and apply what we learn to our lives today.

Yeshua sent out His disciples to preach that men should repent from their wrong ways and turn toward God’s ways and toward God, Himself. They cast out demons and anointed the sick with oil, healing them. It sounds very much like a reflection of Jesus’ ministry as He began. (Matthew 4:17; Matthew 4:23)

Mark 6:7-13

The Twelve Sent Out

      7And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; 8and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt— 9but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.” 10And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. 11“Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” 12They went out and preached that men should repent. 13And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

It is a good thing when your ministry reflects that of the Master. We should pay close attention to His key message, which was repentance. This is a very important message. It is easy for each of us to conclude we are doing things “well enough” or “better than others”. However, that is not the standard to measure against. We are to measure against Yahweh’s holy standard. There is always more we can do, with His help, to identify and repent from sin in our life. It is not a one time decision. It is a decision and action we repeat every day of our lives. Sometimes we mess up and then we ask forgiveness and try again. For those who preach, the lesson is also that one should perhaps begin with the need for repentance as we preach or teach. People must understand their need for Yeshua… to be forgiven through His sacrifice to pay for our sins and mistakes.

I find it also very powerful that the disciples are sent with very little. They are to bring nothing extra. What a powerful statement! When we hear from Yahweh, we are to put our trust completely in Him to provide for our needs. He can and will do it. This does not necessarily mean to discard what He has already provided us, so seek His guidance prayerfully.  Jesus did not command the disciples to get rid of all their belongings or even to give them to the poor. He simply instructed them in regards to their missionary journeys not to take anything extra with them.

When they do enter a house, the intent is to stay there, perhaps to build relationships or perhaps to avoid the distraction of constantly having to worry about where they would stay the next night or week. They were not to move every night to another place.

If a place did not receive them, they are not to stay and force it, but rather shake the dust from their sandals and move on. We must take heed to this important lesson. Too often we may wish to force someone in particular to hear the message of Christ and repent. We can not force them to accept the message. Furthermore, if we continue to put our focus, time, and energy toward only those who reject Yahweh, then we will be delayed in bringing the gospel to others who are open to hearing and receiving the truth of Yeshua. Time is a limited asset and it is constantly passing. We must use it wisely.

The preaching of repentance was accompanied by casting out demons and healing. There are many examples where Yahweh allowed His followers to perform miracles in His name, in particular as they were spreading revelation from Him such as the good news about Yeshua as Messiah. When we go out to bring the good news of Yeshua, we are to accompany that with showing love and compassion to the people we meet. We are to try to help them and meet their needs, to alleviate their suffering. To those whom He calls, they can even do miracles in His name. Whether or not we can do miracles will be up to the LORD and, in part, our faith. With or without miracles, we can certainly have an impact in showing our love for people.

Both as disciples seeking to learn and follow after Christ, and as those seeking to bring the truth of Christ to others, we can learn a lot by prayerfully reflecting on scripture and the truth God reveals to us through it.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please show me clearly where You would like me to share the gospel and how I should approach any mission for which You send me. Let me not proceed on my own understanding but with strong faith and in obedience to Your direction. 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.

Guide, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Marriage

YHWH’s Design for Marriage Includes Love and Passion

Song of Solomon is an interesting book in the Bible to be sure. It is focused on a passionate relationship between a bride and her groom. So many people mischaracterize YHWH’s position on sexual relations, claiming He just has a long list of “do nots”. Dismissing or getting angry at YHWH for that is like getting mad at someone who makes hair dryers for putting the label on it that says “keep away from water”. The warnings and boundaries are there for your protection. YHWH invented the gift of sexual relationship between a man and a woman. He gave it to us as part of the marriage relationship. He created us to feel passion and excitement, but it is intended only for marriage of one man and one woman. Yes, it is supposed to be enjoyed in marriage!

As you read Song of Solomon, realize that it was first written in a different time, place and culture. Do not get tripped up over some of the references (e.g. “like the tents of Kedar”), but seek to understand the excitement and passion they felt for one another… the love they felt for one another.

Another level to consider is that God compares our relationship with him to a bride and groom as well. Jesus is the groom and the church is the bride. We should think about how passionate we should be in our pursuit of Christ in how it compares to the example in Song of Solomon. I am referring to the passion and love, not the physical relationship… which in this perspective is not literal.

Song of Solomon 1

The Young Shulammite Bride and Jerusalem’s Daughters

      1The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.

      2“May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine.

      3“Your oils have a pleasing fragrance,
Your name is like purified oil;
Therefore the maidens love you.

      4“Draw me after you and let us run together!
The king has brought me into his chambers.”

“We will rejoice in you and be glad;
We will extol your love more than wine.
Rightly do they love you.”

      5“I am black but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the tents of Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.

      6“Do not stare at me because I am swarthy,
For the sun has burned me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me caretaker of the vineyards,
But I have not taken care of my own vineyard.

      7“Tell me, O you whom my soul loves,
Where do you pasture your flock,
Where do you make it lie down at noon?
For why should I be like one who veils herself
Beside the flocks of your companions?”

Solomon, the Lover, Speaks

     8“If you yourself do not know,
Most beautiful among women,
Go forth on the trail of the flock
And pasture your young goats
By the tents of the shepherds.

      9“To me, my darling, you are like
My mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.

      10“Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your neck with strings of beads.”

      11“We will make for you ornaments of gold
With beads of silver.”

      12“While the king was at his table,
My perfume gave forth its fragrance.

      13“My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh
Which lies all night between my breasts.

      14“My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
In the vineyards of Engedi.”

      15“How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are!
Your eyes are like doves.”

      16“How handsome you are, my beloved,
And so pleasant!
Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!

      17“The beams of our houses are cedars,
Our rafters, cypresses.

I feel it worthwhile to mention, that though Solomon was granted great wisdom by YHWH when He was young, He still made a significant mistake in embracing the concept of more than one wife and of concubines that was more common back then. It was a fail on his part and drew Him apart from YHWH as Solomon got older. We have the opportunity to learn from him what is good and reject the mistakes he made.

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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.

False Prophets / Teachers, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Discerning the True Shepherd: Jeremiah 23’s Message for Today

Jeremiah 23 paints a stark contrast between the coming Messiah and gathering up His people who are scattered compared to the false prophets who lead the people away from God.

How important it is that we follow the right one, even today! We can’t simply follow everyone who preaches or teaches about God or claims to have a word from God.  We must use discernment. We must study God’s word and build a personal relationship with Him.

Jeremiah 23

The Coming Messiah: the Righteous Branch

      1“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares the LORD. 2Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares the LORD. 3“Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4“I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD.

      5“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD,
“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;
And He will reign as king and act wisely
And do justice and righteousness in the land.

      6“In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell securely;
And this is His name by which He will be called,
‘The LORD our righteousness.’

      7“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when they will no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 8but, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.”

False Prophets Denounced

9As for the prophets:
My heart is broken within me,
All my bones tremble;
I have become like a drunken man,
Even like a man overcome with wine,
Because of the LORD
And because of His holy words.

      10For the land is full of adulterers;
For the land mourns because of the curse.
The pastures of the wilderness have dried up.
Their course also is evil
And their might is not right.

      11“For both prophet and priest are polluted;
Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the LORD.

      12“Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them,
They will be driven away into the gloom and fall down in it;
For I will bring calamity upon them,
The year of their punishment,” declares the LORD.

      13“Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing:
They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.

      14“Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing:
The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood;
And they strengthen the hands of evildoers,
So that no one has turned back from his wickedness.
All of them have become to Me like Sodom,
And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

15“Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets,
‘Behold, I am going to feed them wormwood
And make them drink poisonous water,
For from the prophets of Jerusalem
Pollution has gone forth into all the land.’”

      16Thus says the LORD of hosts,
“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.
They are leading you into futility;
They speak a vision of their own imagination,
Not from the mouth of the LORD.

      17“They keep saying to those who despise Me,
‘The LORD has said, “You will have peace”’;
And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart,
They say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you.’

      18“But who has stood in the council of the LORD,
That he should see and hear His word?
Who has given heed to His word and listened?

      19“Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath,
Even a whirling tempest;
It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.

      20“The anger of the LORD will not turn back
Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart;
In the last days you will clearly understand it.

      21“I did not send these prophets,
But they ran.
I did not speak to them,
But they prophesied.

      22“But if they had stood in My council,
Then they would have announced My words to My people,
And would have turned them back from their evil way
And from the evil of their deeds.

      23“Am I a God who is near,” declares the LORD,
“And not a God far off?

      24“Can a man hide himself in hiding places
So I do not see him?” declares the LORD.
“Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.

      25“I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a dream, I had a dream!’ 26“How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart, 27who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? 28“The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the LORD. 29“Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock? 30“Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the LORD, “who steal My words from each other. 31“Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the LORD, “who use their tongues and declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ 32“Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,” declares the LORD, “and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares the LORD.

      33“Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you saying, ‘What is the oracle of the LORD?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What oracle?’ The LORD declares, ‘I will abandon you.’ 34“Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, ‘The oracle of the LORD,’ I will bring punishment upon that man and his household. 35“Thus will each of you say to his neighbor and to his brother, ‘What has the LORD answered?’ or, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 36“For you will no longer remember the oracle of the LORD, because every man’s own word will become the oracle, and you have perverted the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God. 37“Thus you will say to that prophet, ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ and, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 38“For if you say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’ surely thus says the LORD, ‘Because you said this word, “The oracle of the LORD!” I have also sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’”’ 39“Therefore behold, I will surely forget you and cast you away from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers. 40“I will put an everlasting reproach on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten.”

Test everyone that is claiming to speak for God against the word of God in the Bible. Look for validation from God when someone shares a word with you. Seek to build a personal relationship with God so you will know the difference in His voice and a false prophet or teacher.

In all of this, also give thanks for God having sent Jesus as Messiah so we can be reconciled to God despite our sins.

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.