Category Archives: Hearing from God

Am I on the path?, Hearing from God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Share the Good News

Jesus’ Instructions For Sharing the Good News

Matthew 10 contains important insight from Jesus to those of us  who commit to serve Him and take the message of the gospel to the world.  The instructions are as relevant to us now as they were to Jesus’ disciples 2000 years ago.

There is a lot of crucial guidance in Matthew 10, and I have summarized key points at the end so this devotional is rather long. I encourage you to read it through.

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil[a] spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. 2 Here are the names of the twelve apostles:

first, Simon (also called Peter),
then Andrew (Peter’s brother),
James (son of Zebedee),
John (James’s brother),
3 Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew (the tax collector),
James (son of Alphaeus),
Thaddaeus,[b]
4 Simon (the zealot[c]),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

5 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, 6 but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. 7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.[d] 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

9 “Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. 10 Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.

11 “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. 12 When you enter the home, give it your blessing. 13 If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. 14 If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. 15 I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.

16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. 17 But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. 18 You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.[e] 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. 22 And all nations will hate you because you are my followers.[f] But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man[g] will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.

24 “Students[h] are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. 25 Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons,[i] the members of my household will be called by even worse names!

26 “But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. 27 What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!

28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[j] 29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin[k]? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

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

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

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

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

40 “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. 41 If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God,[m] you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. 42 And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

Trying to break down some of the key points:

  • Jesus wants His followers to openly and boldly bring the good news of the gospel to others, even though many will reject it.
  • Jesus called the twelve specific individuals and gave them authority for healing and casting out spirits. Not all of us will be given this special authority, or share the same task… in this case going out on the road to share the gospel with others. However, we all are called to share the gospel with others.
  • Jesus sent his disciples first to God’s lost sheep rather than going to those that never knew Him. God later sent others to bring the word to the gentiles. God loves all but sometimes may send us to a specific group at a specific time. This can help us have needed direction to be effective in operating in God’s plan.
  • Jesus instructed the disciples to go without extra money or supplies, but instead rely on hospitality. This guidance certainly focuses the disciples on trusting and following God rather than their possessions. Jesus is reassuring them that God is with them and will provide what is needed to complete the mission.
  • Once you bring the message of Jesus Christ to someone, if they reject it you are to shake the dust from your feet and move on. This was a symbolic way to show separation from those who reject Jesus Christ. We must not linger with those who reject His message for we will run out of time and fail to bring the good news to others who may receive it.
  • You may endure much suffering when you bring the news of Jesus Christ. Expect it. Jesus assures us He will be with us. Sometimes the suffering will create unique opportunities to share the gospel with others.
  • Many people, even family will persecute you for passionately following Christ and bringing His message in full truth. [Even those who say they follow God, but do not live according to His word. They often do not want to change and thus reject those who show them the truth that they should change.]
  • Sometimes it will be necessary to flee a bad situation. That is an opportunity to bring the message of the gospel to another group of people somewhere else.
  • Those who claimed to serve God, religious leaders, called Jesus prince of demons. Expect many to call you names and reject you… even those in the church.
  • Jesus tells us not to be afraid of those who can only kill our body, but of God who holds our eternity in His hand. What God whispers in our ear, He wants us to shout to others!
  • Those who refuse to acknowledge Jesus here on earth, despite persecution… He will not recognize before God the Father.
  • A common misunderstanding is refuted clearly. Jesus tells us He did not come to bring peace. People are peaceful when everyone is comfortable in their sin and leave others to their sin.  Jesus came to bring conflict. He wants us to stand up and clearly be different from the world and confront others with truth and the need for them to change and repent from sin. When we honor God with our lives instead of just blending in quietly, it creates conflict because people prefer to remain comfortable in their sin.
  • Jesus must be first in our lives. He must come before our own desires and before our loved ones. When we put Jesus first, everything else that should be in our lives will be placed in the right priority by following God’s instruction.
  • Jesus wants us to help His followers. We are to receive righteous people for being righteous. Even giving a cup of cold water to “the least of my [Jesus’] followers” will be rewarded.

This passage in scripture requires time to reflect and re-read to fully digest. Please take the time to apply it to your life and be encouraged that Jesus will be with us as we share the truth of the gospel with others!

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Children, Consequences of Sin, Family, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Parenting

Seek God for Decisions in Your Life

Genesis 19:30-38 shows us a dramatic example of the foolishness of people when we try to solve our problems without God and without even working together as a family.

30 Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. 31 One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. 32 Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”

33 So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.

34 The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.

36 As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. 37 When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab.[b] He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. 38 When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi.[c] He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.

Once again we gain insight into Lot and how poorly he led his family to know God and to follow God. They were likely influenced by their time in Sodom and a lack of strong godly leadership from their father.

Lot’s daughters identified a problem that was of great concern to them. They decided it was better to try to solve it on their own than to seek God or even discuss it with their father. They end up with a foolish solution. They still have a lack of men for more children or a community in which to raise their children.  The Moabites and Ammonites as a culture continued the way they were started… far from God. They later become a thorn in the side for Israel at times.

It seems obvious that Lot’s daughters did not know how to relate to God. They did not seek His help and instruction when confronting a big issue in their lives. Further, they did not even approach their father to discuss it. Granted, Lot did not have a strong track record for godly decision making… but perhaps he could have sought out Abraham if confronted by this situation.

Of course, one could also ask why Lot was not paying enough attention to his daughters to notice their concern and ask about it. There is not much detail provided, but it seems the family was far from God and did not have good communication within the family to work together to solve problems.

Although this type of incestuous relationship is not common, the world is full of young women and men making foolish choices about sex outside marriage, about adultery after marriage, about marrying the wrong person because they are in a hurry. Some feel a “biological clock ticking” and feel pressure to hurry and marry and have children. They move quickly and marry the wrong person. Some just do not understand what real love is and respond to hormones that may lead them to feel “attracted” to someone. That is not love. Love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7.

It is important to raise children to know and serve God and to seek Him in these situations. Further, it is important to lead your children in such a way that they can approach you about these personal issues and discuss them so you can help as a parent. Don’t wait until they are teenagers, start when they are very young.  Encourage them to make decisions based on God’s word, prayer, and consulting their parents. Respect their concerns and issues at an early age and give them the opportunity to discuss anything with you as their parent. Teach them you are a resource to help them.

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Hearing from God, Homosexual Behavior, Interceding for Others, Obeying God, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

Genesis 9:1-29 continues from where Abraham had attempted to intercede for Sodom with God after hearing of God’s plan to destroy the city due to the sin of the people there. We learn about the importance of heeding warnings from God and following His instructions instead of doing things our way.

19 That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. 2 “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.”

“Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.”

3 But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. 4 But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. 5 They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”

6 So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. 7 “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.”

9 “Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door.

10 But the two angels[a] reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door. 11 Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside.

12 Meanwhile, the angels questioned Lot. “Do you have any other relatives here in the city?” they asked. “Get them out of this place—your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. 13 For we are about to destroy this city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached the Lord, and he has sent us to destroy it.”

14 So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés, “Quick, get out of the city! The Lord is about to destroy it.” But the young men thought he was only joking.

15 At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!”

16 When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful. 17 When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”

18 “Oh no, my lord!” Lot begged. 19 “You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. 20 See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.”

21 “All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. 22 But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”)

23 Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon. 24 Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25 He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation. 26 But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.

27 Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the Lord’s presence. 28 He looked out across the plain toward Sodom and Gomorrah and watched as columns of smoke rose from the cities like smoke from a furnace.

29 But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.

God graciously provided an opportunity for Lot and his family to escape the destruction of Sodom based on Abraham’s request.  The scripture highlights several key points for us to consider:

  • Abraham as a righteous man was able to intercede on behalf of others and influence God to give Lot a chance to be saved.
  • The people of Sodom were held accountable for their sin and rejection of God despite the effort by Abraham to intercede.
  • Lot must have been aware of the sin of the people of Sodom and that it was a city filled with evil people. He showed foolishness in choosing to stay in Sodom with his family just because the grazing land for his flocks was nice and easy for him. He exposed his family to wickedness just to have it a little easier for his work.
  • When the angels came, Lot voluntarily received them into his home. They did not even ask, let alone force themselves into Lot’s home. Furthermore He even offered his protection for them when threatened by others. His hospitality and kindness in receiving them led to their sharing the warning. Scripture does not say, but if Lot would not have brought them into his home… would he still have received the warning from God?
  • To be clear, Lot was completely wrong to offer his daughters to the crowd even if well intended as an effort to protect his guests. It was not a godly response.
  • Lot’s daughters’ fiancés were not prepared to accept that God might be sending them a direct and urgent message that provided them an opportunity to avoid destruction. They assumed it more likely a joke than an actual warning from God. They died for their mistake.
  • Lot hesitated to leave… even after telling others that they should leave the city.  The angels insisted, taking him by hand along with his wife and two daughters to lead them out of the city. It is difficult to leave behind our comfortable lives and our possessions. Lot, with strong encouragement from God’s messengers, was finally able to do it. As a result he had a chance to save himself and his family.
  • Even as Lot was instructed to leave, he was worried about it being too hard in the mountains and asked for accommodation to be able to go to a small village.  Keep in mind, that God previously said He would not destroy Sodom if there were 10 righteous people there and the angel indicated God planned to destroy this village that Lot requested to go to. We can conclude this village was filled with wicked people just like the rest of the cities and villages in the plains.  Another poor decision by Lot. God in His grace, and to answer Abraham’s request for Lot, allowed it.
  • Lot’s wife was unable to follow God’s instructions as they left. She looked back on the sinful city of Sodom. It was her last mistake. When God offers to lead us away from harm, we should follow His instructions very closely.
  • When Abraham went to watch the destruction of the cities, he went to where he had recently met with God. In the toughest times, Abraham wanted to draw close to God.

Consider… are you prepared to listen to God’s instruction and obey as Abraham did consistently? or is it a struggle for you, like Lot, his daughters’ fiancés, and Lot’s wife?

Those who decide ahead of time to truly accept God’s will as the most important… more important than everything else… will be prepared to follow Him. Those who are lukewarm toward God will resist, torn between their love of money and things and their love of God. You can not have two masters. God must come first and above all else if you are to follow Him faithfully.

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Character of God, Hearing from God, Obeying God

I Know The Plans I Have For You

God has long term strategies and plans for His people, for those who serve Him wholeheartedly. Often we can not even recognize His plans for us… our lives are but a single thread, woven into the fabric of a bigger tapestry that God is creating.

God’s has plans for us even when we have gone through or are going through difficult times as referenced in the beginning of Psalm 40 or the context of Jeremiah 29, while God’s people were in exile.

[Psalm 40:5] O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.

[Jeremiah 29:11-13] 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

God does not prepare us for something and bring us toward it just to abandon it when there is an obstacle. Obstacles may be created by our sin and selfishness or that of another person. Obstacles may be a test to our dedication to serve, trust, and follow God.

Consider as example, if you feel you have been led by God into marrying someone specific. You cannot then, a year later, also accept that God is leading you to abandon the marriage because it is difficult. God is not that short sited and He is not surprised by obstacles and challenges.

A second example… if you feel led to ministry consistently over a period of time and then fail to get admission into the seminary you were pursuing or turned down for your first job at a church. You can not accept that God has both led you to ministry and then subsequently led you away from it. Take time to reflect more deeply and seek Him in prayer for which is the right path.  Perhaps you have not found the right starting opportunity He wants for you.

We can take comfort in knowing that although we may be short sighted and fail to anticipate obstacles, God is not. When we genuinely hear from Him, we can trust Him to lead us and help us overcome obstacles in our way.

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Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Hearing from God, Interceding for Others, Righteousness / Serving God, Wickedness / Evil

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

Genesis 18:16-33 gives us keen insight into the character of God and the relationship we can have with Him as His servants.

16 Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.

17 “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked. 18 “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”

20 So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. 21 I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”

22 The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. 23 Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? 24 Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? 25 Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

26 And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”

27 Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”

And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there.”

29 Then Abraham pressed his request further. “Suppose there are only forty?”

And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty.”

30 “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”

And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”

31 Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?”

And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

32 Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?”

And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

33 When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.

Abraham intercedes on behalf of the city of Sodom, in particular on behalf of the righteous people who may live in the city of Sodom. Likely he was thinking about his own family through Lot that lived there, but may have genuinely been interceding for others as well. Despite a healthy fear and respect for God, and recognizing that God is about to unleash righteous wrath on Sodom, Abraham takes courage to intercede for others in a way that respects God but still asks for mercy on behalf of His righteous people.

How gracious of our all powerful God to allow those who serve Him to personally talk with Him… to discuss things. He listens to His righteous servants. In this case, it would seem He listens with great patience… as a father listening to questions from a son he loves.

We also see that God is not only love but also righteousness and judgment. We know from later in scripture that God destroys Sodom. How sad that He could not find 10 righteous  people in that sinful city.  The judgment God put in place for those sinful people was just. He does, however, provides an opportunity for Lot and his family to leave Sodom  before it is destroyed.

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Children, Hearing from God, Obeying God

God Promises a Baby to Sarah

Sometimes it is difficult even for those who walk with God to accept that He may intervene in their  lives and deliver something incredible… something very personal they could never expect outside of His direct intervention.

In Genesis 18:1-15 we see God promising a baby to Sarah, who is old and well past child bearing years by normal standards. Sarah struggles to believe it and even laughs.

18 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. 5 And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”

“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”

6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures[a] of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” 7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. 8 When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.

9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.

“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.

10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”

Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”

But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”

Though we do not read it in this scripture verse, God indeed fulfills the promise. How gracious of God to continue with the promise despite Sarah’s laughter and unbelief. Despite even her lie to deny she had mocked the promise. God was going to keep His promise to Abraham.

Do you believe He can and may intervene directly in your life? Have you witnessed God doing incredible things before? When He delivers something you never expected was possible, do you glorify Him and praise Him, telling others? or do you keep it to yourself and eventually reason why it really may not have been God involved after all?

A good idea to consider… when God clearly moves in your life or in another way around you, write it down in a journal. Keep a record of God’s involvement in your life for encouragement and reminder that our gracious creator can and does intervene in the lives of His people.

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Hearing from God, Satan, Spiritual Warfare

Am I Hearing From Jesus? or Satan?

As Jesus’ followers we must learn over time to recognize the voice of our shepherd and distinguish it from the voice of the evil one, Satan. God allows Satan to tempt and lie to us.

Satan wants to separate us from God. God wants us to study and know God through His word so as to easily recognize when Satan is at work and choose instead to honor God and reject Satan’s lies.

Satan was allowed to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden. She choose to trust Satan instead of God, with grave consequences.  Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus knew and trusted the word of God and thus recognized the lies and deceit… the trap Satan was trying to lure him into.

Satan continues today to try to trick and deceive people in an effort to separate them from God. Sadly, he is very successful because people are not prepared as Jesus was with a strong foundation of understanding God’s word as truth.

There are key differences, or tells, that can help us distinguish between God’s voice and that of Satan.

  • God speaks clearly and directly about the truth of what is good and what is wrong. There is not much “gray” area. Satan lies and rationalizes why wrong behavior is really acceptable.
  • God’s will never contradicts what He has already revealed to us in His holy scriptures. Satan’s lies contradict or twist scripture out of context. They are easier to spot for those who have taken the time to study and know God’s word.
  • God calls us to admit we are sinful, repent wholeheartedly and change our behavior in pursuit of a holy standard. Satan tells us the Bible is wrong or inaccurate or no longer applies. He tells us that we are like many others or better than most, we are good enough, we don’t need to change our behavior.
  • God’s path is typically harder, takes longer… it requires discipline and conviction. People will mock you and try to stop you. Satan’s path is easy and comfortable. People do not mock you. You blend in with the world.
  • God warns us that there are negative consequences to our sin. Satan tries to convince us there are no negative consequences.
  • God leads us to have a humble spirit, knowing who we are in Christ and giving glory to Him. Satan fills us with pride, focusing our thoughts on how good we are by ourselves.
  • God cares not only about “what we do” but also cares about “how we do it” and “why”. Satan says “the ends justify the means”.  Satan suggests you can act in a way that is against God’s word so long as you have a good cause.
  • God provided a way through Jesus Christ to atone for our sins and reconcile with God. Satan tells us we do not need God…that we are good enough on our own.

As followers of Christ we must acknowledge that Satan is real and is working to trap us and lead us into sin and away from God. Then we must study God’s word and focus on developing a relationship with Him through consistent prayer. We must listen carefully and test what we hear to ensure it lines up with God’s will and character. Only by doing this can we live the life that God wants for us.

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Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God

God Requires Obedience As Part of His Covenant

In Genesis 17, God reminds Abram about the agreement they have in which Abram will be made the father of many nations if he and his children obey God. God commands a physical sign of the covenant that will serve as a reminder of the agreement to God’s people.

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord came to him and said, “I am God All-powerful. Obey Me, and be without blame. 2 And I will keep My agreement between Me and you. I will give you many children.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. God said to him, 4 “See, My agreement is with you. You will be the father of many nations. 5 No more will your name be Abram. But your name will be Abraham. For I will make you the father of many nations. 6 Many will come from you. I will make nations of you. Kings will come from you. 7 I will make My agreement between Me and you and your children after you through their whole lives for all time. I will be God to you and to your children’s children after you. 8 I will give to you and your children after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan for yourselves forever. And I will be their God.”

9 Then God said to Abraham, “You must keep My agreement, you and your children after you for all time. 10 This is My agreement between Me and you and your children after you, which you must obey: Every man among you must have this religious act done. 11 In this religious act the skin is cut off from the end of your sex part. This will be the special act of the agreement between Me and you. 12 Every male child among you who is eight days old must have this religious act done, through all time. The same must be done to all the men born in your house or bought with your money from any stranger, who is not one of your family. 13 He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must have this religious act done. So will My agreement be marked in your flesh, an agreement that lasts forever. 14 But the man who has not had this religious act done, of cutting off his piece of skin, will be cut off from his people. He has broken My agreement.”

15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her name Sarai. But Sarah will be her name. 16 And I will bring good to her. I will give you a son by her. I will bring good to her. And she will be the mother of nations. Kings of many people will come from her.”

17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed. He said to himself, “Will a child be born to a man who is 100 years old? 18 Then Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live before You!” 19 But God said, “No, but your wife Sarah will give birth to your son. And you will give him the name Isaac. I will make My agreement with him and for his children after him, an agreement that will last forever. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bring good to him. I will make him grow in number. He will be the father of twelve rulers. I will make him a great nation. 21 But I will make My agreement with Isaac, who will be born to Sarah at this time next year.”

22 When He had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money, and every man and boy who lived in his house. And he cut off their piece of skin that very day, as God had told him to do. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he had the religious act done of cutting off his piece of skin. 25 His son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he had the religious act done of cutting off his piece of skin. 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael had this religious act done that very day. 27 And all the men of his house, who were born in the house or bought with money from a stranger, had this religious act done with him.

It is common for a covenant agreement to have a clause concerning a witness as reminder that the covenant existed. Of course the reminder is for God’s people as God will not forget. In the case of the covenant with Noah, God created rainbows as a reminder. With Abram it is circumcision.

Circumcision was more than just a physical reminder though, it also represents accepting the covenant… a willingness to obey the laws of God. This is somewhat similar to the practice of baptism which is an outward sign of a person accepting Jesus Christ as lord and savior. The physical act is representative of an inner choice.

God’s covenants are typically not just one-sided promises where God says you can reject Him and still be blessed. As in this example, God calls for obedience in our hearts and behaviors as our part and if we do that, then He will be our God and bless us.

Abram… now Abraham…wasted no time to fulfill God’s command. Abraham was already committed to obeying God, so after discussing the covenant and hearing God’s command, Abraham immediately took the appropriate, obedient action. He did not delay or wait until later to do what God asked.

As a moment of reflection… each of us should consider if we obey God when He leads us to take some action (through His word or through other ways He communicates with us). Do we debate God, delay until “later” or obey immediately?

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Discerning / Judging, Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Obeying God

When We Fail to Wait for God

Few would dispute that Abram (later Abraham) was a man of great faith. He enjoyed a personal and close relationship with God. There were times during which Abram demonstrated amazing faith, and then other times, as in Genesis 16 , when we may find ourselves asking… “Why did he do that?” while we read the scriptures.

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. 3 So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.)

4 So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!”

6 Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.

7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. 8 The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied.

9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” 10 Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”

11 And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. 12 This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”

13 Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.”[a] She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” 14 So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.

We must observe that Abram and Sarai’s choice to try to fulfill  God’s plan rather than waiting on God resulted in much trouble and sorrow for them and for generations to follow. It is a great reminder to us in our journey with God not to be discouraged and quit when we make mistakes, but rather to pick ourselves up and resume our journey with God as best we can, asking forgiveness and trying to learn from our mistakes.

One aspect we can learn from Abram’s actions in this passage is how to wait on God and how to discern if a solution someone proposes lines up with the word of God. The idea that Abram should have a child through Hagar, who was not his wife, to help God accomplish His promise to Abram is clearly not an idea from God. It does not line up with God’s instruction as to marriage being between one man and one woman and sexual relations being reserved only for a husband and wife in marriage. He commanded this at the beginning with Adam and Eve.

We must challenge ourselves not to try to hurry God’s timing by finding our own solutions to speed things up. We must wait on God to enjoy the fullness of what He has in store for us.

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Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Obeying God

A Conversation With God

Abram has a personal conversation with God in Genesis 15 that gives wonderful insight into the character of God.

15 Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”

2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”

4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

7 Then the Lord told him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.”

8 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?”

9 The Lord told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half. 11 Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away.

12 As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 14 But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. 15 (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) 16 After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.”

17 After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. 18 So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt[a] to the great Euphrates River— 19 the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

What a wonderful God we serve that as His humble servants we can openly share our feelings and desires. Of course He already knows them, but it is very encouraging to read God’s response when Abram expresses his desire to have a son. Abram talks to God openly and honestly. God does not get mad. He knows Abram is His righteous servant.

God is not surprised by what Abram tells Him. Quite the opposite, without missing a beat God answers that Abram will have a son. In fact, when God tells Abram how many descendants he will have, Abram is counted righteous for his faith in believing God.

When God tells Abram about the land He will give to Abram, Abram is able to ask about it without reprimand. God instead gives him instructions and then later gives even more details to Abram about what will happen to his descendants.

How wonderful that we, as God’s servants, can still be counted righteous even when we have questions and doubts on some details of what may come our way. What a gracious God we serve.

Also important in this scripture, we get some insight into why God allowed His people to be bound as servants to the Egyptians for 400 years. God is gracious and slow to anger… the sins of the Amorites did not yet at that time warrant their destruction. God also mentions the fact that His people will come out of bondage to Egypt with great wealth.

A third benefit we recognize from reading later scripture is that the means by which God sets His people free from bondage in Egypt is dramatic and memorable… the 10 plagues and then the parting of the Red Sea and destruction of Pharaoh’s army that pursued. God brought His people out of Egypt in a dramatic way in which He showed His power and glory so memorably that we still talk about it thousands of years later and it continues to honor the name of God.

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