Category Archives: Holy Spirit (hearing from God)

Faith / Trusting God, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh

Igniting the Flame of Faithful Living with the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1)

Embark on a journey through the transformative words of 1 Thessalonians 1, where the flame of faith is kindled, and the call to live a life of purpose and devotion resounds. Join us as we explore the timeless wisdom of this scripture, understanding how the Holy Spirit plays a pivotal role in igniting our journey towards a more faithful and impactful life.

1 Thessalonians

      1Paul and Silvanus and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

      2We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; 5for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Summary of Key Points:

  1. The Power of Faith in Action: 1 Thessalonians 1 underscores the remarkable impact of faith in action. The Thessalonian believers serve as a powerful example of how genuine faith, fueled by the Holy Spirit, propels individuals to live with purpose and conviction.
  2. A Living Gospel: The verse reminds us that the message of the Gospel is not confined to words alone; it is a dynamic force that transforms lives and communities through the active presence of the Holy Spirit.
  3. The Holy Spirit as Guide: Recognizing the Holy Spirit as our guide, 1 Thessalonians 1 inspires us to align our lives with the Spirit, allowing its transformative power to shape our thoughts, actions, and relationships.
  4. Imitating Christ: Through the Thessalonians’ example, we are encouraged to imitate Christ, leaning on the Holy Spirit to become beacons of hope, love, and faith in the world.

As we immerse ourselves in the inspiring words of 1 Thessalonians 1, let’s consider how our lives reflect the transformative power of faith through the Holy Spirit.

How can we, with the guidance of the Spirit, live out the Gospel in our actions and interactions?

Take a moment to reflect on the ways the Holy Spirit can kindle the flame of faith in your daily life.

Share your insights and aspirations in the comments, and let’s inspire one another to live purposefully, imitating Christ through the dynamic presence of the Holy Spirit.

Together, let’s set ablaze a world touched by the genuine and impactful flame of faith and the Holy Spirit.

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.

Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Share the Good News, Teachable

Let the Spirit Be Our Teacher Rather than Men

Seminary and church teaching can be useful if the theology is taught properly. However, in many cases, it is not the Spirit of God that leads the men who run seminaries. They are led by the spirit of men trying to run a business or a broad church organization or perhaps well intended but not fully understanding the depth of scripture themselves. We must always go back to the gospel itself and the Spirit of God to teach us. We can use other study tools to help, of course. Consider that none of the core disciples (later apostles) of Yeshua had formal seminary teaching from religious leaders. They were common men taught by Christ and later led by the Spirit.

Paul, who did have formal teaching from a respected teacher, was prosecuting Christians and clinging to the doctrine of men. That is until Paul had a personal and dramatic encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. It changed him forever.

Galatians 1:11-24

Paul Defends His Ministry

     11For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

      13For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 14and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 15But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 16to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

      18Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; 23but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24And they were glorifying God because of me.

It may be well to study at seminary if you pick the right one, but never take as gospel the doctrine of men. Test it always against the word of Yahweh in the Bible. Take note also, that the Spirit will not contradict the word of God. When we think we have heard from the Spirit, we can often test what we think we heard against God’s written word for confirmation. Pray for the Lord to guide you. Be willing to challenge common and “accepted” teaching based on what scripture says. Seek to please the Lord rather than other church members or leadership or friends or family. Look for pastors that do the same.

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.

Heaven and Hell, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Hope

The Future Glory

There is much sin and suffering in this world. As we go through our daily walk with Jesus Christ, we have confident hope that we will be released from this suffering when we leave this world to join Jesus for eternity. While we are still here, God has given us the Holy Spirit to help guide and support us through these difficult times.

Romans 8:18-30

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children,[j] including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope[k] for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[l] in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[m] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn[n] among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

What a wonderful God we have that is so vast He created and rules over everything and yet he cares so much for each of us He provides us the help we need to live out our daily lives. Praise God!

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

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

Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Wise

We Must Rely on the Spirit of God

It is not the wisdom of men we seek as followers of Christ, but rather the wisdom and power of God. We must rely on the Spirit rather than our own logic and understanding alone if we are to make sense of all that is going on around us. Many, including those in positions of power and authority, do not understand God’s wisdom.

1 Corinthians 2

Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

      1And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

      6Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;

9but just as it is written,
“THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD,
AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN,
ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”

10For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

      14But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.

Take a few minutes now and pray that our Father will guide you through the Spirit to greater understanding and godly wisdom and a deeper relationship with Him. Trust in Him rather than in the ways of “natural man”. Accept that may often find yourself in the minority when you choose to go deeper in your relationship with Yahweh and as the Spirit reveals more and more truth to you. Embrace and trust the Father and let the Spirit guide you.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Sin

Sometimes Understanding Scripture Can Be Challenging

I would love to be able to tell you all that understanding scripture is easy, but we all know it is not. Many who even genuinely study and pray over scripture still find passages that are difficult. That is why we must continually dwell on scripture and ask for the Holy Spirit to guide us. We must study scripture in light of other scripture to put together a full understanding. There are places that are difficult to understand. Take time to study and dwell on them. Even Peter warned us that some of Paul’s letters were difficult for people to properly understand. Many distorted his letters even when they understood the language and cultural context. It is even harder now, thousands of years later.

2 Peter 3:14-18

      14Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Give yourself time to unwrap the gift of wisdom that is within scripture… do not rush it. If there is a difficult passage, mark it down and come back to it or stay there awhile to study it. Romans 7 is an example of a difficult to digest scripture in my opinion. It would be worth additional study before making drawing many conclusions.

Romans 7:1-13

Believers United to Christ

      1Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. 3So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.

      4Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. 6But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

      7What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.” 8But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. 9I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; 10and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; 11for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

      13Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

A few points of emphasis I reflect on:

  • 6But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. 7What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law;
  • 12So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Paul appears to be saying that we are released from the Law, but clarifies to contrast serving in newness of the Spirit rather than the letter of the Law. He then goes on to emphasize that the Law is holy and righteous and good, which certainly implies it is not to be cast aside or thrown away. This can be confusing to many. Is the Law to be followed, or not? What is Paul really saying.

Clearly Paul is highlighting that the Law is good, and thus I do not believe it would make sense for him to be suggesting that we cast it aside and ignore it. Rather we continue to follow it, but in newness of Spirit with passion and purpose and not simply to check a box and be “compliant” with the letter of the Law.  I recommend studying the Pauline Paradox series at the following link for more study: Video Teachings | 119 Ministries. 

We will never be justified by works or by our perfect compliance with the instructions of Jehovah. It is not possible. All of us sin. The penalty of sin is death. This is the law of sin and death. We must die to sin and rise in Christ to be set free from sin’s power over us. The Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. It helps us identify sin, but only the Holy Spirit can help us overcome the pull and temptation of sin.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help grant me wisdom and discernment in understanding Your word. May the Spirit guide me. Amen. 

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

Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Obeying God, Share the Good News, Submitted / Servant, Visions

Follow God’s Agenda Rather Than Your Own

Many who start out serving God passionately come to a point where they get caught up in their own success and their own plans and, without even realizing it, become less sensitive to listening to and obeying the Spirit as He guides them in their ministry. We do well to remember that we are called to follow God’s agenda rather than our own… and even those who seem to be very good at following God can at times be distracted and led by their own desires or plans, especially when their ministry is successful, and they grow in confidence in themselves.

Paul was without a doubt a very faithful servant of Christ. He was experiencing much success in his missionary journeys and surely faced the same temptations and distractions of many successful pastors and evangelists today. Paul had a desire to speak the word in Asia but was prevented by the Spirit from doing so. We do not get much information in scripture as to the details, but once Paul received the guidance from the Spirit and a vision from God, he changed his plans and obeyed, trusting God rather than his own plans. We should do the same.

Acts 16:6-13

      6They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

      11So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; 12and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. 13And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

Take some time to evaluate your own life. Are there things you feel God has directed you to do, but you have not yet done them because they are different than the plans you developed? If you want to hear from God consistently, obey the things you feel He is leading you to do. How many of us would continue to provide guidance to someone who never listens to what we tell them?

Do you feel that your plans are being defeated over and over again… prayerfully consider if God is blocking you from particular choices or activities in an effort to re-direct your path.

Always verify what you think you hear from God by testing it against what God reveals in the Bible. God will not contradict Himself.

Yes, God does still speak to His people and in many different ways. Sometimes He is subtle and we will not hear Him unless we are still and quiet and patient in listening for Him, believing He will answer.

1 Kings 19:11-13

     11So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

To learn more about hearing from God, review our category of devotions from scripture about Hearing from God.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please block me from going down the paths You do not want me to take. Please guide me to where You want me to go. Help me to submit to Your will and recognize Your guiding spirit. Help me be fully submitted to You and Your agenda rather than my own. Amen.  

—-

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

Church / Body of Christ, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Learning To Pray Effectively, Seeking God, Share the Good News

Seek His Will with Fasting and Prayer and with Others

Those of us who are true followers of Yeshua are all part of one body. We are to work together for the glory of His kingdom, not fight amongst ourselves to each scratch out our own kingdom by our own strength.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13

      12For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

It is a wonderful and awesome thing to watch when we see our fellow Christians living out the gifts and purposes that God has created them for and working together as a body of Christ to bring glory to God’s kingdom instead of creating our own selfish kingdoms. We see such an example in Acts 13:1-12.

Acts 13:1-12

      1Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

      4So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper. 6When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, 10and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? 11“Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. 12Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

It was through fasting and prayer and ministering to the Lord that Saul and Barnabus received their guidance from the Holy Spirit. They were not busy going about their own pursuits, but rather actively seeking and honoring God when they heard from Him.

A group of believers gathered together in prayer and fasting and laid hands on them to send them on their way. Their mission was one appointed from the Holy Spirit and that was important as they encountered spiritual resistance along the way. It was the power of God that allowed Saul (also Paul) to overcome the enemy who was coming against them… and what a powerful sight that must have been for those who saw it! It was enough for the proconsul to believe in Messiah.

When God appoints you on a mission and you faithfully seek to fulfill it, He will provide the path and power to successfully complete it!

Have you heard from God what your gifts and purpose are? Have you earnestly sought after Him in prayer and fasting? Have you taken time to even ask Him and then listen for a response? Do you study His word and apply it to your life? Do you come humbly before Him in prayer? If not, challenge yourself to start today. Do not wait for tomorrow. Make time for prayer with our Creator consistently as if it is as important as the very physical food we eat… because it is that important.

Do not dismiss to easily the possibility that Satan is coming against you when you try to obey God’s commands and live for Him. Satan may absolutely come against you. With God’s help you will overcome! Gather together with other believers in fasting and prayer to seek God’s guidance and blessing for your life.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help Your people come together in fasting and prayer and in seeking Your will for each of us. Help us to draw near to You in fervent prayer. Help us fully submit to You! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Guide, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Submitted / Servant

Follow Where the LORD Leads

When Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, to send and support the people of Judah to return to Jerusalem, he also stirred up the spirit of the people He wanted to return (Ezra 1). Although Yahweh made this possible and deserves the glory, let us also reflect on all those who submitted to His will. They walked away from all they had known for many decades. In many cases it was all they had ever known. They picked up and started the journey to return because Yahweh wanted them to do so. It sounds easy when you read it quickly, but really imagine if that were you and if it were back in that era when it happened. That is a long journey, and it is not like you can just get on the internet to see what is going on there or get on a bus or plane to make the journey. You are committing to go and likely stay there before you really know fully what to expect.

Number of Those Returning

      1Now these are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city. 2These came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah.
The number of the men of the people of Israel: 3the sons of Parosh, 2,172; 4the sons of Shephatiah, 372; 5the sons of Arah, 775; 6the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812; 7the sons of Elam, 1,254; 8the sons of Zattu, 945; 9the sons of Zaccai, 760; 10the sons of Bani, 642; 11the sons of Bebai, 623; 12the sons of Azgad, 1,222; 13the sons of Adonikam, 666; 14the sons of Bigvai, 2,056; 15the sons of Adin, 454; 16the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, 98; 17the sons of Bezai, 323; 18the sons of Jorah, 112; 19the sons of Hashum, 223; 20the sons of Gibbar, 95; 21the men of Bethlehem, 123; 22the men of Netophah, 56; 23the men of Anathoth, 128; 24the sons of Azmaveth, 42; 25the sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743; 26the sons of Ramah and Geba, 621; 27the men of Michmas, 122; 28the men of Bethel and Ai, 223; 29the sons of Nebo, 52; 30the sons of Magbish, 156; 31the sons of the other Elam, 1,254; 32the sons of Harim, 320; 33the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 725; 34the men of Jericho, 345; 35the sons of Senaah, 3,630.

Priests Returning

      36The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973; 37the sons of Immer, 1,052; 38the sons of Pashhur, 1,247; 39the sons of Harim, 1,017.

Levites Returning

      40The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74. 41The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. 42The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, in all 139.

      43The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, 44the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon, 45the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub, 46the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shalmai, the sons of Hanan, 47the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, 48the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, 49the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, 50the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephisim, 51the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, 52the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, 53the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, 54the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.

      55The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, the sons of Peruda, 56the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, 57the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Ami.

      58All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392.

      59Now these are those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan and Immer, but they were not able to give evidence of their fathers’ households and their descendants, whether they were of Israel: 60the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 652.

Priests Removed

      61Of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and he was called by their name. 62These searched among their ancestral registration, but they could not be located; therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood. 63The governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest stood up with Urim and Thummim.

      64The whole assembly numbered 42,360, 65besides their male and female servants who numbered 7,337; and they had 200 singing men and women. 66Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; 67their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.

      68Some of the heads of fathers’ households, when they arrived at the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to restore it on its foundation. 69According to their ability they gave to the treasury for the work 61,000 gold drachmas and 5,000 silver minas and 100 priestly garments.

      70Now the priests and the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants lived in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

What might the LORD be stirring up your spirit to do in your life today? It may not be something you ever thought about doing before. If may be something you never thought possible and suddenly, He has made a way.  Take care to listen to the prompting of the Spirit in your life.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead and guide me. Lead my spirit to do whatever You want me to do. Help me to be a submitted and joyful servant. Let all the glory and honor be unto You. Help Your people all to be more responsive to Your will and have clarity when You are directing them. Let us all pull together in unity to accomplish the things You desire. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

 

Baptism, Church / Body of Christ, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Love, Satan, Share the Good News, Spiritual Warfare

Disciples of Yeshua Are One in the Spirit (Whether Jew or Gentile)

Satan and those who follow him, knowingly or not, love to create division between people. They do not unite but rather divide people and then try to create animosity between groups rather than unity. Of course, there are lots of differences among the people of the earth… we can all see that. Those that seek to create and foster hate try to put rich against poor, divide based on male or female, or divide based on color of skin. These divisions are not of God, and we should not be angry at one another on the basis of these types of differences. The only division that truly matters is between those that are one in submission to Christ and those that have rejected Him.

Galatians 3:28-29 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

For those of us that are submitted to Christ, we should act in love toward others who reject Him, proclaiming the truth of the gospel, unaltered and uncompromised. We do so because we love them. We do not show love to them by pretending they will not go to hell… by pretending they are on the right path toward closeness with God… by pretending everything is ok because that is what they want to hear. We show love by sharing the true message of the gospel of Christ which requires us to recognize and admit we are sinners, turn away from doing things our way, and submit to Christ and start transforming our lives to live His way. Of course, how we share the gospel matters quite a bit!

The good news of the gospel is focused on Yeshua as God among us, dying for our sins so that we, who believe in Him could be reconciled to God.

John 3:16-21

     16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Peter comes to realize in Acts 10, that the message of Yeshua is not just for Jews but also for Gentiles! What wonderful news that Christ does not divide us but reaches out to all of us and offers all of us acceptance and forgiveness by grace, through faith.

Acts 10:34-48

Gentiles Hear Good News

      34Opening his mouth, Peter said:
“I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. 36“The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)— 37you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39“We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40“God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, 41not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42“And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43“Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

      44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47“Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 48And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.

We must not compromise the message of the gospel of Yeshua. We must proclaim it to all in its entirety as revealed by God.

Are you living your life filled with joy over the knowledge of salvation you have through Christ? Are you continually sharing that with others, even those who may be different than you? If not, why not?

Challenge yourself to change the way you think about people, instead of grouping by physical characteristics, try thinking of them as one race, all made in God’s image… those who have accepted Yeshua as Lord and those who need to hear the gospel and see it lived out without compromise because they are rejecting Yeshua to their own peril. While we can embrace one group as brothers and sisters in Christ, we can also treat the other group with kindness and respect, showing them the joy we find in following our Messiah!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, praise and honor be unto You! You offer forgiveness through Yeshua to both Jew and Gentile alike. Help all who follow You through Messiah be drawn together and not divided. Help us to see past our differences and focus on our common relationship with You! Let us not despise any who have submitted their lives to You! Amen. 

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Angels, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Obeying God, Prayer, Visions

Righteous Prayer Helps Us Hear From God

Do you want to hear from Yahweh for specific guidance in your life? Do you believe that He communicates with His people on a personal basis? The Bible shows us many examples that He absolutely does communicate with those who genuinely and wholeheartedly submit to Him and transform their lives to follow Him.

Proverbs 15:29

      29The LORD is far from the wicked,
But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Submitting to God to live according to His instructions (righteousness) and seeking Him in prayer are important parts in the life of a follower of Jesus to connect with God and hear His specific guidance for your life. We see both elements present in Cornelius and Peter as we read in Acts 10 as God provides specific direction to both men.

Acts 10:1-23

Cornelius’s Vision

      1Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5“Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.” 7When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

      9On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” 16This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.

      17Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; 18and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20“But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” 21Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” 23So he invited them in and gave them lodging.

We see both Cornelius and Peter respond by receiving God’s instruction and trying to understand how to obey it. They expect to hear from God… they want to obey. So it is also with us. We must live according to God’s word, obeying Him in those things in which He has already instructed us, seek Him in prayer and expect to hear from Him. Why would God speak to someone who does not believe God will speak to them and will just dismiss it as imagination or coincidence? Why would God give more instructions to someone who is not obeying the instructions he or she already has received, either in scripture or in prior communications from God?

Challenge yourself… do you expect to hear from God? Are you already applying His word to guide the details of how you live your life… or are you just blending in with the world? “Going to church” and “Doing what others who call themselves Christian do” are not enough. That is the wrong standard. God’s scripture in the Bible is the only true, unchanging standard to measure against. Particularly the example of how Jesus lived and what He taught is a great place to start! (Hint: If you never meet any resistance or friction, you are either not noticeably living for Christ, or you are not bringing the gospel to non-believers… which is to say not following the commands God has already given us.)

Ask yourself what specific, actionable changes you should make to your life starting today. Be honest and open to recognizing that you are not doing everything perfectly right already and there is more you can do for Jesus. We can all make adjustments to live more like Christ. None of us ever achieve that level of perfection that Jesus did during His earthly ministry, so if you can’t think of any changes to make you are likely fooling yourself.

As a side note, consider “Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be”. As we read further in Acts 10 we will confirm that the vision actually had nothing to do with what food God has instructed us to eat or not to eat as His people. The vision was a metaphor to tell Peter that it was good for him to share the gospel of Jesus with the gentiles. God’s instructions regarding what we should eat or should not eat are still relevant. For a deeper study, review Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean For Us Today?

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