Category Archives: Thankfulness

All Powerful / King of All, Justice / Judgment, Protector / Deliverer, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness, Thankfulness

From Defeat to Victory, God Can Flip the Results Completely

Sometimes the events in which God acts can make some of us feel uncomfortable. It does not fit our idea for how God should act. We often try to fit God in a box, to put boundaries around how He can or will act. We focus on His forgiveness and grace and lose sight of His judgment. We focus on His love and lose sight of His willingness to strike down the wicked.

If Esther 9 is uncomfortable for you, try to come at it from expanding your understanding of who God is and how he acts rather than assuming He was wrong or made a mistake. Do not assume God was uninvolved, just because He was not named in how the book of Esther was written. The evidence of God being involved is throughout the book of Esther in how the events unfold.

Esther 9

The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

      1Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on the thirteenth day when the king’s command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them. 2The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm; and no one could stand before them, for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples. 3Even all the princes of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and those who were doing the king’s business assisted the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4Indeed, Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai became greater and greater. 5Thus the Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. 6At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men, 7and Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

      11On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa was reported to the king. 12The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! Now what is your petition? It shall even be granted you. And what is your further request? It shall also be done.” 13Then said Esther, “If it pleases the king, let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.” 14So the king commanded that it should be done so; and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman’s ten sons were hanged. 15The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

      16Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces assembled, to defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75,000 of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.

      18But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 19Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a holiday for rejoicing and feasting and sending portions of food to one another.

The Feast of Purim Instituted

      20Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, 22because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

      23Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. 25But when it came to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27the Jews established and made a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days according to their regulation and according to their appointed time annually. 28So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants.

      29Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. 30He sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth, 31to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations. 32The command of Esther established these customs for Purim, and it was written in the book.

With God’s help, the Jews were able to destroy those who had plotted to destroy them. There were a lot of people killed. Keep in mind, Haman’s plot involved a lot of people because they were going to kill all the Jews in Persia. God purged those who had come against His people and put Mordecai in a place of great authority.

Maybe this is hard for most of us to understand today because we have never experienced a group of people trying to eliminate all of us as a body of Christ. We have plenty of persecution around the world ranging from lawsuits to death. However, for many of us we do not know what it is like for a group to literally be planning to kill us all. Sometimes the only way to stop them is to defend yourself, as Mordecai and the Jews did in Esther 9.

Do not assume this is always the right answer. Just allow yourself to consider that God enabled these events. He was not surprised by them. He is love, but He is also just. He is our protector.

If I generalize a bit more, I encourage you to reflect on the fact that God can make a way for His people to have victory where none existed without Him. When you find yourself overwhelmed and facing steep odds against you, turn to God and ask for His help. Then pay attention, plan and act boldly and strategically as needed. Do not just sit and wait as if you do not have a part to play in the victory He can bring.

When He does bring success, celebrate and be joyful and give thanks!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please raise up righteous leaders and put them in places of authority. Please overcome the wicked plans of the adversary as he comes after Your people. Please grant us victory to be able to boldly and plainly live according to Your ways and Your name! Help each of us understand clearly what role we should play to bring about Your plans. 

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.

Learning To Pray Effectively, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness

Oh, Give Thanks to the LORD!

It is good to take time to praise the LORD! Take time today not to just read it, but really pray it and call out praises to His name. Adapt it to your life and what you want to thank and praise Him for!

1 Chronicles 16:8-36

Psalm of Thanksgiving

8Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.

      9Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.

      10Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

      11Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.

      12Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,

      13O seed of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!

      14He is the LORD our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.

      15Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,

      16The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac.

      17He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,

      18Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
As the portion of your inheritance.”

      19When they were only a few in number,
Very few, and strangers in it,

      20And they wandered about from nation to nation,
And from one kingdom to another people,

      21He permitted no man to oppress them,
And He reproved kings for their sakes, saying,

      22“Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”

      23Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

      24Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

      25For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
He also is to be feared above all gods.

      26For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the LORD made the heavens.

      27Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and joy are in His place.

      28Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

      29Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Worship the LORD in holy array.

      30Tremble before Him, all the earth;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

      31Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”

      32Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it.

      33Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD;
For He is coming to judge the earth.

      34O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

      35Then say, “Save us, O God of our salvation,
And gather us and deliver us from the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
And glory in Your praise.”

      36Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.
Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please grant me the passion to pray, worship, praise and spend time building relationship with You. Let me not get distracted by all the business of my everyday life. Help me truly find joy in 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.

Fear / Reverence for God, Heaven and Hell, Purposeful / Intentional, Share the Good News, Thankfulness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Don’t wait for a sign!

Many of us know someone who has embraced the idea that they will accept Jesus when He gives them a sign. Others who may have accepted Jesus are waiting for a sign before they tell others boldly about Him.

This can be a trap! The truth is that God has already given us many signs and miracles. They are well documented in the Bible. If we wait for Him to send another sign before we accept Him or before we choose to share the good news of the gospel with others… it may be too late for us and for those we love.

In Luke 16:19-31 [NLT] Jesus tells us about Lazarus and a rich man.  Lazarus is a poor man who despite much hardship in his life accepted God. The rich man, despite much luxury and worldly gain,  rejected God. They both die and the rich man finds himself in hell, but able to see Lazarus in heaven.  He realizes it is too late for him and immediately thinks of those he loves…

“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him [Lazarus] to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’

Jesus Himself died for us and has risen from the dead. He was a public, recognizable figure. He was publicly brutalized with many witnesses and executed in broad daylight for all to see. After rising on the third day he was witnessed by hundreds of people over several weeks moving about in good health. All of this is well documented.

Sadly, most of the world and even most of those that have heard about Jesus Christ do not accept Him as Lord and Savior, even though He died and rose again to come back and tell us.

Don’t miss the opportunity to accept Jesus as your savior, to share Him with those you know, and to share the Good News even with those you don’t know as you interact with them in your daily walk.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to stand boldly for You and to submit and serve You with confidence. Help me not make excuses to be silent. Make me more uncomfortable to sit silently by not telling people about You than I ever would feel uncomfortable sharing the good news! 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.

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Interceding for Others, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Teachable, Thankfulness, Wise

Enlighten the Eyes of My Heart

Let us approach our Lord with thanksgiving for fellow believers and for the wonderful gift of our own salvation by grace, through faith. Let us ask Him to enlighten the eyes of our hearts.

Ephesians 1

The Blessings of Redemption

     1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

      3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

      15For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

I find Ephesians 1 to be a very uplifting passage. I read it twice and then slowly a third time. It is so easy to just skim through the opening of Paul’s letters on the assumption that “it is just a greeting”. But take care and dwell on each chapter of the Bible. There is much treasure to be found.

There are a few key elements that strike me in particular.

  • Paul reminds his audience that he only functions as an apostle by the will of God. He has no authority or power of his own.
  • He identifies his audience, faithful followers of Yeshua.
  • He greets them with a reminder and request for grace and peace from the only one who can provide it… our Lord.
  • He calls to bless God as the source of all of our blessings in Yeshua.
  • We are reminded that God’s will is sovereign. He knows all that will happen from the beginning. There are no surprises. He knows whom He will call to Him and who will accept the call. We are forgiven through His grace and love.
  • Paul reminds us that we are to work in Yahweh’s glory according to His plans, rather than our own. As we submit and obey, we may well hope to be sources of praise to His glory.
  • We are reminded again that as we submit to Yeshua as Lord we receive the Holy Spirit to dwell in us as counselor and guide. This too is for His glory, rather than our own.
  • Paul demonstrates the value of praying for one another as he prays for the righteous saints in Ephesus. But let us look too at what He prays for… riches, easy life, accomplishing their own personal goals and plans… of course not. He prays God would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation of knowledge of Him. Let us pray for ourselves and one another in the same way!

What’s more is that Paul is thankful before God for the genuine followers of Yeshua in Ephesus. He is not focused only on what they have not gotten right yet in how they follow the LORD. There is a time and place for that, but here he is focused on their faith and desire to follow Yeshua. Let us remember to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world and be thankful to God for them, though in many cases we may not even know who they are.

As a parting thought… what a godly, unselfish prayer for us to embrace for one another…

16do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.

Take a few minutes and pray this for those dear to you and even those you do not know around you and around the world who are seeking to follow Yeshua.

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.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Study the Word, Teachable, Thankfulness

What Were the Sacrifices in the Torah? What Do They Mean Today?

Today I am sharing an article from GotQuestions.org for some review and thoughts around the various sacrifices from the Torah, which are much misunderstood by Christians today. I do not consider this article or GotQuestions.org definitive, for that we always test against the Bible and for topics that are complicated or unfamiliar we may also want to test against other study resources for clarity as well. I did, however, think this provides a good overview of the various types of sacrifices. I will comment briefly below on potential relevance still today.

What were the various sacrifices in the Old Testament?  (from GotQuestions.org)

There are five main types of sacrifices, or offerings, in the Old Testament. The burnt offering (Leviticus 1; 6:8–13; 8:18-21; 16:24), the grain offering (Leviticus 2; 6:14–23), the peace offering (Leviticus 3; 7:11–34), the sin offering (Leviticus 4; 5:1–13; 6:24–30; 8:14–17; 16:3–22), and the trespass offering (Leviticus 5:14–19; 6:1–7; 7:1–6). Each of these sacrifices involved certain elements, either animal or fruit of the field, and had a specific purpose. Most were split into two or three portions—God’s portion, the portion for the Levites or priests, and, if there was a third, a portion kept by the person offering the sacrifice. The sacrifices can be broadly categorized as either voluntary or mandatory offerings.

Voluntary Sacrifices

There were three voluntary offerings. The first was the burnt offering, a voluntary act of worship to express devotion or commitment to God. It was also used as an atonement for unintentional sin. The elements of the burnt offering were a bull, a bird, or a ram without blemish. The meat and bones and organs of the animal were to be totally burnt, and this was God’s portion. The animal’s hide was given to the Levites, who could later sell it to earn money for themselves.

The second voluntary offering was the grain offering, in which the fruit of the field was offered in the form of a cake or baked bread made of grain, fine flour, and oil and salt. The grain offering was one of the sacrifices accompanied by a drink offering of one-quarter hin (about a quart) of wine, which was poured into the fire on the altar (Numbers 15:4–5). The purpose of the grain offering was to express thanksgiving in recognition of God’s provision and unmerited goodwill toward the person making the sacrifice. The priests were given a portion of this offering, but it had to be eaten within the court of the tabernacle.

The third voluntary offering was the peace offering, which consisted of any unblemished animal from the worshiper’s herd, and/or various grains or breads. This was a sacrifice of thanksgiving and fellowship followed by a shared meal. The high priest was given the breast of the animal; the officiating priest was given the right foreleg. These pieces of the offering were called the “wave offering” and the “heave offering” because they were waved or lifted over the altar during the ceremony. The fat, kidneys, and lobe of the liver were given to God (burnt), and the remainder of the animal was for the participants to eat, symbolizing God’s provision. The vow offering, thanksgiving offering, and freewill offering mentioned in the Old Testament were all peace offerings.

Mandatory Sacrifices

There were two mandatory sacrifices in the Old Testament Law. The first was the sin offering. The purpose of the sin offering was to atone for sin and cleanse from defilement. There were five possible elements of a sin sacrifice—a young bull, a male goat, a female goat, a dove/pigeon, or 1/10 ephah of fine flour. The type of animal depended on the identity and financial situation of the giver. A female goat was the sin offering for the common person, fine flour was the sacrifice of the very poor, a young bull was offered for the high priest and the congregation as a whole, and so on. These sacrifices each had specific instructions for what to do with the blood of the animal during the ceremony. The fatty portions and lobe of the liver and kidneys were given to God (burnt); the rest of the animal was either totally burned on the altar and the ashes thrown outside the camp (in atoning for the high priest and congregation), or eaten within the tabernacle court.

The other mandatory sacrifice was the trespass offering, and this sacrifice was exclusively a ram. The trespass offering was given as atonement for unintentional sins that required reimbursement to an offended party, and also as a cleansing from defiling sins or physical maladies. Again, the fat portions, kidneys, and liver were offered to God, and the remainder of the ram had to be eaten inside the court of the tabernacle.

The sacrifices in the Old Testament pointed forward to the perfect and final sacrifice of Christ. As with the rest of the Law, the sacrifices were “a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (Colossians 2:17). Christians today recognize Christ’s atoning death on the cross as the only needed sacrifice for sin, offered once for all (Hebrews 10:1–10). His death opened the “holy place” for us (Hebrews 10:19–22) so that we can freely enter God’s presence and offer our “sacrifice of praise” (Hebrews 13:15; cf. 9:11–28; 4:14—5:10).

There can certainly be some engaging study and discussion to be had around the relevance of the sacrifices today and their role when Yeshua returns. I think a few key points I would highlight:

  • It is not possible for us to do these sacrifices according to instruction in the Torah today without the priesthood and the temple.
  • The death and resurrection of Yeshua is the focus of all forgiveness of sin. Sacrifices were looking ahead or foreshadowing His death and reminding people of the penalty that has to be paid for sin. The death of animals in and of themselves does not lead to forgiveness of sin. If sacrifices return in the millennial kingdom, they will not be replacing the death of Christ nor making it void of purpose. They would simply again be looking back to the death of Yeshua and reminding us of the penalty of sin.
  • The death of Yeshua for our sin fills with meaning the sin offerings mentioned above. It is not related directly to the other sacrifices.
  • The other sacrifices still have meaning that cannot be executed according to the law today due to lack of priest and temple. However, consider and reflect prayerfully on how we may still connect with Yahweh today for these areas: voluntary act to express devotion and commitment to God, express thanksgiving in recognition of God’s provision and unmerited goodwill, and thanksgiving for provision and fellowship over a shared meal. These all have meaning that can inform and prompt us to pursue a closer relationship with Yahweh.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to be thankful for the redemption from sin through Yeshua. Help me not take that for granted. Help me to live my life submitted to You and seeking to follow the example that Yeshua provided for us rather than following the traditions of men or the church. Lead me in how I can come to You with thanksgiving for Your provision and for the unmerited goodwill you have toward me. 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.

Interceding for Others, Share the Good News, Thankfulness, Traditions / Holidays

Lift Up Thanks And Prayers for Those That Serve

According to Wikipedia:

Veterans Day is an official United States public holiday, observed annually on November 11, that honors military veterans; that is, persons who served in the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I; major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. The United States previously observed Armistice Day. The U.S. holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day, a U.S. public holiday in May; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day honors those who died while in military service.[1] It is also not to be confused with Armed Forces Day, a minor U.S. remembrance that also occurs in May, which specifically honors those currently serving in the U.S. military.

It is good for us to honor and recognize those who died in military service, those who are actively serving, and those who have served in the past. These people who choose to serve in our military have an impact for our nation and for others around the world.  It is good for us to pray for those still living and the families of those who have passed on.

I would also encourage us to pray for and seek to honor and recognize those individuals who have dedicated their lives to serve in the Lord’s army. There are many who are actively serving the Lord or have done so in the past, some giving up their lives or facing much hardship for the glory of YHWH. Their sacrifice and obedience has impacted the world as well, setting many free from sin and selfishness, leading many to salvation through Christ.

I encourage each of us to take time to pray for these individuals and their families. Let us also give thanks to our Creator for both those who serve in His army and those who serve to protect our nation physically as well.

Shalom.

by John in service to Christ

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

Grace / Forgiveness, Healer, Interceding for Others, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Merciful, Miracles, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness

In the Name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—Walk!

Imagine that you were unable to walk and had been that way since birth. You have never known anything else.  You have no choice but to beg for money to survive. Then along come some men who stop to help you. They demand your attention for a few moments. Those moments change your life.  Expecting only a small bit of money, you receive something much better than money… they set you free from your bondage that has been holding you back since birth… all in the name of Jesus Christ!

Acts 3:1-10

Healing the Lame Beggar

      1Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. 2And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. 3When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. 4But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!” 5And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” 7And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. 8With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9And all the people saw him walking and praising God; 10and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

In a way, we are all like the beggar. We are born into the world in bondage to sin… to our own selfish nature and prone to believing the lies of the devil which permeate the world around us and pull us ever further from God. We are just trying to survive, really. Then, someone comes along and offers us something that totally transforms our lives. We must give our attention to it and listen. We must open our hearts to be receptive and then receive what Jesus offers… freedom from bondage.

In Acts 3, the beggar is set free from physical bondage associated with his legs not functioning correctly. For all of us, we can be set free from the bondage that we endure to sin. Listen to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Give it your full attention. Accept the gift which is offered through grace… none of us deserve it , but it is offered to all of us. Accept Jesus as leader of your life, turn from your wrong ways of doing things… from bondage to sin and embrace God’s way of doing things. Jesus came to set us free! (Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.)

Imagine if the beggar turned away and refused what was offered him… we would call him a fool. So too for those of us who hear the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and do not take heed!

Once you have been set free by Jesus… do as the beggar did when he was healed… go forth and praise God publicly and let people know what He has done for you and how it has changed your life! Let your life and the changes in your attitudes and behavior proclaim the glory of Jesus Christ!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to truly appreciate Your power and glory. Thank You for physical healing when You bring those miracles and thank You for forgiveness from my sins that would otherwise separate me from You. You and You alone are God. Let me not lose focus on You. Let me seek You first. Help me to celebrate joyfully and share the blessings of Your grace and mercy in my life. Let me not keep it to myself. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Miracles, Mockers, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Promises, Share the Good News, Thankfulness, Wickedness / Evil

Let Those Who Have Eyes See… But Many Dismiss Even Miracles

Preparing for His departure, Jesus had instructed His disciples to wait for the Helper whom God was going to send to them… the Holy Spirit. His disciples obeyed. They were right to trust and obey Jesus Christ, as we should also in our daily lives. When the day of Pentecost had come… God made the event clear to those who believe so they would have no doubt and be encouraged. It was an incredible and dramatic event. Once again, however, we see that those who refuse to believe… who refuse to see truth… can always come up with an excuse to let them turn aside from God even as He demonstrates the miraculous!

Acts 2:1-13

      1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

      5Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8“And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9“Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” 12And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”

What an exciting event. I can only imagine being there to experience it. What rejoicing must have been going on among the believers. Such a dramatic event that God Himself brought the crowds. There was no need for advertising or grandstanding. The believers just obeyed Jesus and let God bring the crowds. Then they seized the opportunity, with God’s power, and engaged the people who came for the sake of sharing the good news of the gospel!

All of our best efforts to bring the people to our podium amount to little if the Holy Spirit is not in it. And if God is in it… no one can stop Him. We are to obey God and pray for His Holy Spirit to move us and those to whom He would have us share the gospel.

Romans 8:26-31

      26In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

      28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

      31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Scripture consistently shows us that there are many who will just reject God and mock His people. In this case they dismissed the entire miraculous event claiming that the believers must be drunk… which is silly even given that people could clearly understand them speaking in multiple languages. Do not be discouraged when you encounter these mockers. It is not a personal reflection on you as God’s faithful follower, but rather a condition of their heart that they are responsible for changing with the help of the Spirit.

The Lord has instructed us in regards to the wicked and the mockers (also scorners). We do not prosper by listening to their counsel or letting them discourage us but rather by delighting in the law of the Lord and focusing on that day and night!

Psalm 1:1-3 1How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

Be encouraged. Live for God, applying His word to how you live your life. Let the Holy Spirit lead you. Thank God that He has given you eyes to see and ears to hear.

Proverbs 20:12 12The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made both of them.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit that you sent to be our guide and helper. Help me to recognize the Spirit and not reject Him. Please guide my words and actions when I am confronted by those who would mock you. Please open the eyes of the spiritually blind so that they may see and know 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.

All Knowing, Compassionate, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Prophecy, Thankfulness

Jesus Was A Willing Sacrifice

As I read through certain passages in scripture, I am boldly and plainly reminded that Yeshua knew what was to happen and willingly submitted to the Father in sacrificing Himself to pay for our sins. A good way to internalize this a bit more personally is to say to yourself, “Jesus died for MY sins.”

Don’t rush past this thought, dwell on it. Jesus knew what was going to happen before it happened. He was not surprised or trapped or “caught”. He already knew exactly what was to happen. He willingly took the place of the Passover lamb, sacrificed for MY sins… and yours.

Mark 14:12-21

The Last Passover

      12On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 13And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; 14and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15“And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” 16The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

      17When it was evening He came with the twelve. 18As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me.” 19They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?” 20And He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. 21“For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

Knowing that Jesus willingly suffered and died on MY behalf, and yours… should I not come before Him humbly and thankfully to accept this offer of forgiveness by grace through faith? We each must decide. If someone offered you a new car, would you be thankful or would you reject them and keep doing your own thing? So too we must each decide if we will come before Jesus humbly and ask forgiveness for our sins, turning from them and turning our actions and behaviors and attitudes to the ways of Jehovah, that we see modeled in the life of Jesus. Will we choose to accept the gift of salvation, of forgiveness, from the punishment and judgment we have justly earned?

Take care, however, as you can not simply call on the name of Jesus to save you and then continue to go about ignoring or rejecting everything He taught and lived as example. You must truly accept Him as Lord, which will be reflected in how your life changes to reflect His ways instead of your own.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Yeshua. Thank You for grace and forgiveness. Please forgive my sin and help me to repent and live wholeheartedly for You, according to Your ways snd not the ways of man or the flesh. You are worthy of praise! Amen.

 Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

All Powerful / King of All, Fear / Reverence for God, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Loving / Kind, Thankfulness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Celebrating and Rejoicing In Our Father

What a celebration it must have been! Solomon had finished praying over the completion of the temple, fire came from heaven to consume the burnt offerings and sacrifices, the Shekinah glory of God came into the temple where the priests could not even enter, and people worshipped and gave praise the Yahweh. Then as we continue with verse 4 below, we see more sacrifices and an extended feast of celebration.

I would love to see this kind of enthusiasm in our culture today to celebrate our God. I know we are not always celebrating something as grand as the temple, but wow!

2 Chronicles 7:4-10

Sacrifices Offered

      4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD. 5King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6The priests stood at their posts, and the Levites also, with the instruments of music to the LORD, which King David had made for giving praise to the LORD—“for His lovingkindness is everlasting”—whenever he gave praise by their means, while the priests on the other side blew trumpets; and all Israel was standing.

      7Then Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD, for there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to contain the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat.

The Feast of Dedication

      8So Solomon observed the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly who came from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt. 9On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for the dedication of the altar they observed seven days and the feast seven days. 10Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy of heart because of the goodness that the LORD had shown to David and to Solomon and to His people Israel.

I think for each of us we may want to consider how we foster a sense of enthusiasm, praise, worship, thanksgiving, etc. in our own lives and in our communities focused on honoring and glorifying our Father. Ask Him to help. Discuss it with other believers. Consider celebrating the Moedim, or appointed times of our Creator (CELEBRATING GOD’S HOLY DAYS (MOEDIM)) as a starting point.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for all You do and have done for us! You and You alone are God. There is none like You. Your lovingkindness is without equal. Please help me to celebrate You and not take You for granted. Amen. 

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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