Category Archives: Wickedness / Evil

Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Eternal, Faith / Trusting God, Justice / Judgment, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God, Wickedness / Evil

Trust in God’s Protection

As you read Isaiah 26, remember that the people of Israel had gone through tough times. Other nations had ruled them. They had drifted far from the LORD. There was a remnant that held tight to God. Think about the joy and praise emotionally that they were feeling when He rescued them from that and restored them! Whatever you are experiencing, you can put your faith in God and trust Him.

Rejoice in the LORD! Trust in Him for protection and sing songs to glorify Him. Praise Him.

Isaiah 26

Song of Trust in God’s Protection

      1In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city;
He sets up walls and ramparts for security.

      2“Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter,
The one that remains faithful.

      3“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You.

      4“Trust in the LORD forever,
For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.

      5“For He has brought low those who dwell on high, the unassailable city;
He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He casts it to the dust.

      6“The foot will trample it,
The feet of the afflicted, the steps of the helpless.”

      7The way of the righteous is smooth;
O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.

      8Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD,
We have waited for You eagerly;
Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls.

      9At night my soul longs for You,
Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently;
For when the earth experiences Your judgments
The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

      10Though the wicked is shown favor,
He does not learn righteousness;
He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness,
And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD.

      11O LORD, Your hand is lifted up yet they do not see it.
They see Your zeal for the people and are put to shame;
Indeed, fire will devour Your enemies.

      12LORD, You will establish peace for us,
Since You have also performed for us all our works.

      13O LORD our God, other masters besides You have ruled us;
But through You alone we confess Your name.

      14The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise;
Therefore You have punished and destroyed them,
And You have wiped out all remembrance of them.

      15You have increased the nation, O LORD,
You have increased the nation, You are glorified;
You have extended all the borders of the land.

      16O LORD, they sought You in distress;
They could only whisper a prayer,
Your chastening was upon them.

      17As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth,
She writhes and cries out in her labor pains,
Thus were we before You, O LORD.

      18We were pregnant, we writhed in labor,
We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind.
We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth,
Nor were inhabitants of the world born.

      19Your dead will live;
Their corpses will rise.
You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy,
For your dew is as the dew of the dawn,
And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

      20Come, my people, enter into your rooms
And close your doors behind you;
Hide for a little while
Until indignation runs its course.

      21For behold, the LORD is about to come out from His place
To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
And the earth will reveal her bloodshed
And will no longer cover her slain.

Be encouraged! The LORD is our protector and our savior. There is nothing and nobody that is too big or too challenging for Him to handle.

I invite you to take a few minutes to pray.

Reflect on all that God has done for you. Give Him thanks and praise in a personal and specific manner. Then share with Him whatever challenges you still face and ask for His help. Put your faith in Him.

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

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

Discipline / Guidance From God, Encouragement, Grace / Forgiveness, Hope, Justice / Judgment, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

He Disciplines and Forgives Those He Loves

God has a pattern with His people. He brings correction when they turn away from Him and then He sustains a righteous remnant. Overall, He loves His people and wants them to return to Him. He wants what is best for them. If they have gone astray, they need correction to put them back on the right path. He gives them that. In some ways it is like how we guide our children that go astray. We discipline them but also accept them back in love. If you have ever met children that receive no boundaries or discipline, then you know why this is important. They are a mess. They get off track and stay there. Compare that to children who seem to always be on the right track… well mannered, respectful, helpful, etc. They have received discipline when needed and it shows.

Consider this example in Isaiah 9. God uses a godless nation to be His instrument of discipline to bring His people back to Him.

Isaiah 10

Assyria Is God’s Instrument

1Woe to those who enact evil statutes
And to those who constantly record unjust decisions,

      2So as to deprive the needy of justice
And rob the poor of My people of their rights,
So that widows may be their spoil
And that they may plunder the orphans.

      3Now what will you do in the day of punishment,
And in the devastation which will come from afar?
To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your wealth?

      4Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives
Or fall among the slain.
In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.

      5Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hands is My indignation,

      6I send it against a godless nation
And commission it against the people of My fury
To capture booty and to seize plunder,
And to trample them down like mud in the streets.

      7Yet it does not so intend,
Nor does it plan so in its heart,
But rather it is its purpose to destroy
And to cut off many nations.

      8For it says, “Are not my princes all kings?

      9“Is not Calno like Carchemish,
Or Hamath like Arpad,
Or Samaria like Damascus?

      10“As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols,
Whose graven images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

      11Shall I not do to Jerusalem and her images
Just as I have done to Samaria and her idols?”

      12So it will be that when the Lord has completed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness.”

13For he has said,
“By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this,
For I have understanding;
And I removed the boundaries of the peoples
And plundered their treasures,
And like a mighty man I brought down their inhabitants,

      14And my hand reached to the riches of the peoples like a nest,
And as one gathers abandoned eggs, I gathered all the earth;
And there was not one that flapped its wing or opened its beak or chirped.”

      15Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it?
Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?
That would be like a club wielding those who lift it,
Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.

      16Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors;
And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame.

      17And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame,
And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day.

      18And He will destroy the glory of his forest and of his fruitful garden, both soul and body,
And it will be as when a sick man wastes away.

      19And the rest of the trees of his forest will be so small in number
That a child could write them down.

A Remnant Will Return

      20Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

      21A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

      22For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea,
Only a remnant within them will return;
A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.

23For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.

      24Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, “O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian who strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt did. 25“For in a very little while My indignation against you will be spent and My anger will be directed to their destruction.” 26The LORD of hosts will arouse a scourge against him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His staff will be over the sea and He will lift it up the way He did in Egypt. 27So it will be in that day, that his burden will be removed from your shoulders and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be broken because of fatness.

      28He has come against Aiath,
He has passed through Migron;
At Michmash he deposited his baggage.

      29They have gone through the pass, saying,
“Geba will be our lodging place.”
Ramah is terrified, and Gibeah of Saul has fled away.

      30Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter of Gallim!
Pay attention, Laishah and wretched Anathoth!

      31Madmenah has fled.
The inhabitants of Gebim have sought refuge.

      32Yet today he will halt at Nob;
He shakes his fist at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

      33Behold, the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash;
Those also who are tall in stature will be cut down
And those who are lofty will be abased.

      34He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an iron axe,
And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.

We can find great hope and encouragement in these words as well as a stout warning against straying from God and His ways. Consider verses 24-25:

24Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, “O My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian who strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt did. 25“For in a very little while My indignation against you will be spent and My anger will be directed to their destruction.”

When you find yourself receiving discipline and correction from our Father, be encouraged. If you turn to Him with all your heart, His indignation against you will only last a little while. Then He will restore you, just as we would a loving parent to their child.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You that You are slow to anger. You are patient and loving and kind with Your people. Help us to be tuned in and listen well as the Spirit guides. Help us not to stray from You. If we do, thank You that You have made a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled through Yeshua. Thank You that You will give us the discipline we need but also invite us back to right relationship with You. Thank You that Your indignation will only last a little while. Your grace and mercy and forgiveness are enduring. Praise You in all things and all situations! We pray this in the name of Yeshua. Amen. 

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

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

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

Should Saying “No” to Sin Be Easy for a Disciple of Yeshua?

For those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord, turned from our sinful and worldly path and endeavor wholeheartedly to disciple our lives after Christ, saying no to sin easy… right? Of course not! We are constantly battling between our old sin nature, the flesh, and our desire to follow after Christ.

Romans 7:14-25

The Conflict of Two Natures

      14For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

      21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

We can clearly see that man is not inherently good, but actually evil and selfish. Even as we desire to turn from sin and turn toward God’s way, we still have a battle upon our hands. The evil within us draws us toward sin.  Do not be discouraged if you are struggling with sin. The desire to sin does not just go away after we decide to disciple after Christ. It remains. We must pray and seek after the kingdom of God. Through Christ we can be set free from sin. Overcoming sin may not be quick and the potential for sin never fully goes away. However, we can be set free from sin and our lives transformed through Christ and with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to overcome my sin nature within me. Help me to live in a way that is pleasing to You. Let me not live according to what my flesh desires, but rather according to my spirit. 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.

Arrogance, Bitterness / Resentment, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Greed, Homosexual Behavior, Mockers, Murder, Sin Nature, Strife, Tongue / Gossip / Slander, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil

Unbelief and Its Consequences

Many who mean well, genuinely struggle to understand how Yahweh can pass judgment on some who have never heard of Him. Sadly, rather than studying the Bible to gain better understanding, they just begin to redefine God in their image and rationalize that people will not go to hell after all. This leads to all manner of misconceptions about God and even more people lose their way.

We know that Yeshua is the way to the Father.

John 14:6

6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

If we believe those who do not hear about Yeshua will automatically go to heaven because of ignorance…we can find ourselves rationalizing that we should not go and tell others about Him. If we share the gospel and they reject Him then they will go to hell, but if we just don’t tell them… then they will go to heaven?

Following false doctrine leads to disastrous consequences. Yeshua commanded us to proclaim the gospel to all the nations, knowing that many would reject the message and reject Him.

Matthew 28:18-20

18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 7:13

13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Does that mean Yeshua wants people to go to hell? Of course not! He came to save us, but people must submit to and follow Him in more than just empty words. We must show our love and obedience to Him by truly being His disciple. To be a disciple, we must learn. To learn correctly, we must study and pray.

Paul reveals the harsh truth of the matter. There are no excuses for those who choose to reject Yahweh. Evidence of our Creator is available all around us in His creation. God is not pleased with those who reject Him, whether or not a missionary has formally come to teach them about Him. Further, there are direct consequences for those who reject God. Without acknowledging God’s instructions for right and wrong, they have no guide to lead them to righteousness. Thus, it is natural to end up living in wickedness and sin.

Romans 1:18-32

Unbelief and Its Consequences

      18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

      24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

      26For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

      28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Please review carefully the specific, but not all-inclusive, list of sins that Yahweh finds worthy of wrath. Many of these are well accepted today in our culture. Starting in verse 26, God speaks about homosexuality and God labels it degrading, unnatural, and indecent. Verse 29 continues with a further list of sin that develops around those who reject God: “unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful”.

Do not overlook verse 32… which highlights the sin of not just doing these acts, but also of simply approving of, accepting, or encouraging these behaviors.

If we look around our society today, we see all of these things which have been called out in scripture. We did not see them as blatantly and publicly accepted a hundred years ago when we as a country had a stronger focus on God, Biblical teaching, and God’s instruction for how we should live. In other words, we can tie the degradation of our society back to people rejecting God and Him turning them over to a depraved mind as scripture documents.

Yahweh will not force people to obey and follow Him. He will let them suffer in their own choice, by their own free will. He gives them over to degrading passions that they have chosen. He gives them over to their depraved mind which they have chosen. As such, they will suffer in this world and then face the ultimate judgment when they face Jehovah when they die. Those who have not accepted Jesus as savior and submitted their lives to follow Him will go to hell.

John 3:16-21

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

The world and the people in it are inherently depraved and wicked, not inherently good. Some overcome this through becoming disciples of Christ. Some accept godly values even without accepting God, typically if it is normalized in a culture that generally does accept God. Sadly, many reject God and what He values. Prayerfully review the scripture and ask God to reveal to you what sins you may be practicing or approving of in others… of which you need to repent wholeheartedly to come back in right relationship with Him. Then humbly admitting your fault and recognizing the lies regarding what the world tries to paint as “right” and “proper” or “acceptable” behavior, turn from them and follow after Yeshua as a true disciple.

I encourage you to take a few minutes in prayer on this subject. pray for yourself first. Then consider praying for others and for our society as a whole. Take care not to move so quickly into prayer for others that you forget to pray about what God may need to show you in your own life.

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

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Wickedness / Evil

Do Not Be Ashamed Of The Gospel

The worldly continuously try to redefine what is right and wrong to rationalize and accept more and more sin as acceptable behavior. They are “tolerant” of all manner of despicable behavior, with the exception of those who choose to follow Christ wholeheartedly… that they cannot accept. They cannot accept it because it shines a light on their sin and wrong lifestyles.

John 3:19-21

     19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Thus they reach out try to shame Christians by redefining marriage and redefining sexuality and redefining covetousness and so on. They spend much time and effort to influence the culture around us, including Christians, to shame them out of following Christ… accepting one more sin, and then another, and then another… there is no end. If we follow the worldly we will end up far from God very quickly. So we must not be ashamed of Yahweh (Hebrew for God) and of Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus), even when people try to shame us.

Romans 1:16-17

      16For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

To please God, we must live by faith. To live by faith is to live according to His word revealed in the Bible, and do so boldly, proclaiming the gospel. Pray that God would help you to stand firmly in ever strengthening faith in His word even when others come against you. Study the truth of His word in the Bible daily and with emphasis in reading His word directly instead of only reading other people’s books about the Bible. Reflect on any changes you need to make in your life and pray God would help you.

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

Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, False Prophets / Teachers, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus (hearing from God), Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Parables, Prophecy, Salvation, Sloth / Laziness, Wickedness / Evil

Jesus Prophecies About the Temple Destruction and His Return (Part 4)

Jesus continues His prophetic response to Peter, James, John and Andrew regarding three important questions in Matthew 25:14-46. They are having a private discussion on the mount of olives. The questions were: “When will the temple be destroyed?”, ” What will be the sign of Your coming?”, and “What will be the sign of the end of the age?” (If you missed it, we encourage you to read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 before you read further here in Part 4.)

Jesus provides additional strong warnings regarding judgment that will accompany His return. He warns us all to be ready now and expect that there will be consequences when He returns based on how we lived “while the master was away”. We will be held accountable. Those who lived faithfully submitted to Jesus will rejoice and be rewarded. There is no middle ground. We are either submitted to Jesus as Lord or we are not. Our behaviors and attitudes are an indication of our true relationship with Jesus as fruit is an indication of the type of tree that grows it. Those who accepted Jesus in name only, never changing their behaviors to reflect a true submission to Him as Lord will be held accountable just as those who outright rebelled against or rejected God.

Parable of the Talents

      14“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15“To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16“Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17“In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18“But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

      19“Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20“The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

      22“Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

      24“And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

      26“But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

      29“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30“Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Be encouraged… the master did not get angry with the man who made only two talents because another made five. The master praised both for their efforts and stewardship. Even the servant who dug the hole may have satisfied the master to a degree if he even had just put it in the bank. God gives each of us talents and abilities and a certain amount of time on this Earth. He expects us to serve Him by using what He gives wisely and not being wicked or slothful.

The Judgment

      31“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32“All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

      34“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

      41“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44“Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45“Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Clearly there is judgment when Jesus returns. Just an a parent wants a child to obey when they are not together or an employer wants an employee to obey instructions when the employer is away… so too Jesus wants us to live in obedience to Him even before He returns. The test of how you love your master, parent, or employer is best reflected in how you behave when you think he or she is not around.

Jesus gives us some specific examples of things we can do to show Him we love Him… by loving other people. We can meet physical needs and spiritual needs of others. The physical needs are straightforward to understand. All of them also represent spiritual needs… we must bring the truth of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many as we can! Jesus compared himself to the bread of life and compared what He offers us to life giving waters that quench us such that we will never be thirsty again. So too loneliness, sickness and captivity can by physical or spiritual. Only Jesus can set people free and meet these needs… but we are commanded to  represent Him! How wonderful a task.

To begin, each of us must accept Jesus as Lord of our lives and turn away from our wrong behaviors and do things God’s way… according to the Biblical standard provided by God. This takes study and prayer to do it properly. We must study the Bible and learn to pray effectively. A godly, Biblical church can be part of that but can not replace additional personal time and  effort by invested by each individual.

It takes commitment to draw near to God and serve Him well. He calls for us to make Him our top priority… not a hobby. Begin now to dedicate your life to God if you, like me, want to hear Jesus tell you the following words when you meet Him:

‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

Get started by learning some key teachings:

Then we invite you to study the Bible with us daily through our devotions via email, Facebook, or on our website Latest Devotions page.

Please pray with me:

Father, please give me courage and faithfulness to use wisely what You have entrusted to me. Let me not simply meet my own needs and wants, but also see the needs of others as clearly as You do. Help me reach out to help others confidently and in Your name. Let me not simply be afraid that someone may be taking advantage of me, but really find tangible ways to help people in Your name. Help me to live a life to which You would consider me a good and faithful servant that I should hear those wonderful words from You, “well done”.  Amen. 

If you have questions or want to know more, please Contact Us.

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, Church / Body of Christ, Courage / Fear, Fasting, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Persecution / Glorifying God, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness, Wickedness / Evil

For Such a Time as This

Sometimes the choices we are forced to make may seem like being put between a rock and a hard place. There appears to be no good choice.  This certainly applies to Esther in the record we find in chapter 4. Haman plans to kill all the Jews and she has to decide if she will risk her life to try to stop him. Ultimately, she has to answer the question, “Has she been put in this position by God for such a time as this?”

Esther 4

Esther Learns of Haman’s Plot

      1When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. 2He went as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.

      4Then Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai that he might remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them. 5Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. 6So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in front of the king’s gate. 7Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show Esther and inform her, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to plead with him for her people.

      9Hathach came back and related Mordecai’s words to Esther. 10Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai: 11“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” 12They related Esther’s words to Mordecai.

      13Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. 14“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

Esther Plans to Intercede

      15Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16“Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” 17So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.

Even as Esther plans to take action, she turns to the LORD. She calls for a three day fast for herself and all the Jews in Susa. She is drawing near to Yahweh and seeking His favor and help. This is a good approach for us as well. Esther chose to risk her life to save her people. We should be asking ourselves, “What am I able to influence given what position(s) I am in today?” “Does God want me to take certain action that may seem difficult for me but could be why He has placed me in this position?”

I think it is also worth highlighting a few other thoughts. When the Jews heard about the decree, they responded with fasting and mourning. We often overlook the value of fasting today. Additionally, take note of Mordecai’s faith, expressed in verse 14,  that the Jews will be rescued by God one way or another. I appreciate that faith. That is another area in which we sometimes fall short today.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for the Bible which leads and guides us and inspires us in our desire to walk closely with You. Please protect Your people around the world today from persecution. Raise up righteous leaders and prepare Your people to listen, repent of their wicked ways, and draw near to You. Defeat the plans of those who wish to come against Your people. Kindle in us an appropriate desire for fasting and prayer as a way to draw near to You and ask for Your help. 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.

Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Persecution / Glorifying God, Pride, Purposeful / Intentional, Wickedness / Evil

Stand Strong for God, Even When the World Comes Against You

Sometimes those who are of the world will come against God’s people because we refuse to conform to their ways. It may be a pride issue, or simply resentment because we are different. Many are not comfortable tolerating others who have a different belief system and are living for God. It seems especially difficult when it results in highly visible differences in how we behave, as in the case with Haman and Mordecai.

Esther 3

Haman’s Plot against the Jews

      1After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who were with him. 2All the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage. 3Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why are you transgressing the king’s command?” 4Now it was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage. 6But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

      7In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Pur, that is the lot, was cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, until the twelfth month, that is the month Adar. 8Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain. 9“If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry on the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.” 10Then the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11The king said to Haman, “The silver is yours, and the people also, to do with them as you please.”

      12Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to seize their possessions as plunder. 14A copy of the edict to be issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day. 15The couriers went out impelled by the king’s command while the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was in confusion.

Of course, not all those who come against God’s people are going to try to execute all of us. However, do not fool yourself. There are still places in this world today that are very aggressive against those who follow Yeshua including persecution up to and including death. In countries like the United States, we more often see attempts to use the legal system and lawsuits to try to force us to turn away from our beliefs. To a lesser, but still powerful extent, social media and corporations and government and school systems all tend to be heavily biased against those who would visibly live our lives for God and follow His instructions.

We should stand firm in our faith and what we believe is right. We should seek the LORD to help protect and guide us.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help Your people stand strong in the face of opposition and persecution. Please protect us and bless us. Help us to thrive even among the godless culture in which we live. Open the eyes of the spiritually blind that they may see the truth around them and change their lives to live for You according to Your instructions. 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.

 

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Persecution / Glorifying God, Share the Good News, Wickedness / Evil

Stand Firm in the Truth of Christ

How often we see today that people will make up false accusations to come against disciples of Yeshua. They will try to come against us directly or through the court of law. They are not hesitant to lie about us or what we have and have not done. Some in authority will honestly try to protect all citizens, including Christians, and others are just corrupt and looking to benefit themselves in whatever way is most profitable.

Paul experienced all of this! We can look to how he handled himself to gain valuable insight for our own behavior in situations we may face.

Acts 24

Paul before Felix

      1After five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders, with an attorney named Tertullus, and they brought charges to the governor against Paul. 2After Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying to the governor,
“Since we have through you attained much peace, and since by your providence reforms are being carried out for this nation, 3we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness. 4“But, that I may not weary you any further, I beg you to grant us, by your kindness, a brief hearing. 5“For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6“And he even tried to desecrate the temple; and then we arrested him. [We wanted to judge him according to our own Law. 7“But Lysias the commander came along, and with much violence took him out of our hands, 8ordering his accusers to come before you.] By examining him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him.” 9The Jews also joined in the attack, asserting that these things were so.

      10When the governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul responded:
“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense, 11since you can take note of the fact that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12“Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot. 13“Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me. 14“But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; 15having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 16“In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men. 17“Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings; 18in which they found me occupied in the temple, having been purified, without any crowd or uproar. But there were some Jews from Asia— 19who ought to have been present before you and to make accusation, if they should have anything against me. 20“Or else let these men themselves tell what misdeed they found when I stood before the Council, 21other than for this one statement which I shouted out while standing among them, ‘For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.’”

      22But Felix, having a more exact knowledge about the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.” 23Then he gave orders to the centurion for him to be kept in custody and yet have some freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from ministering to him.

      24But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you.” 26At the same time too, he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to send for him quite often and converse with him. 27But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.

Paul stood proudly and proclaimed the truth of Jesus Christ seemingly at all times. He did not back down or lie just to get out of trouble. He did not offer bribes to get out of jail. He even took advantage of a bad situation to have the opportunity to share the truth of Jesus Christ with those in leadership over and over again, despite their unfair treatment of him. Paul did not get angry with God and pout or give up. Paul was truly submitted and committed to Christ.

Each of us should ask ourselves… “How can we learn from Paul’s example and apply the same determination and spirit to our lives?”

What hard situations do you face? Will you compromise your values to make it easier? Will you take the opportunity to witness boldly to others, even if they treat you unfairly?

As an important side note, observe that Paul clearly proclaims that he is “believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets”. That is certainly different than what you hear most Christian churches teach today, as they claim the law is no longer meaningful after the death and resurrection of Yeshua. Paul clearly disagrees. The law is still important.

To learn more, read Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean Today?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help Your people boldly take every opportunity to glorify You and share the truth of Your word and of Messiah! Let us not be discouraged or intimidated. Bless us and help us seize the opportunities to share the gospel that You provide for us. Amen.

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

Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Government, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Obeying God, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Through Prophets, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Get Back About Restoring Your Relationship with God

The LORD once again restarted the rebuilding of the temple that had been stopped by adversaries convincing the king of Persia to order the building halted. They did not receive permission from the king, but rather from God Himself, through HIs prophets. They took courage and resumed, knowing there were adversaries in the land who would come against them and knowing they were vulnerable to the king of Persia should he look at their actions unfavorably. They took courage and proceeded with God’s work, even when the might of the rulers could come against them.

Ezra 5

Temple Work Resumed

      1When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, 2then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.

      3At that time Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus, “Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?” 4Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this building. 5But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report could come to Darius, and then a written reply be returned concerning it.

Adversaries Write to Darius

      6This is the copy of the letter which Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. 7They sent a report to him in which it was written thus: “To Darius the king, all peace. 8“Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with huge stones, and beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands. 9“Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, ‘Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?’ 10“We also asked them their names so as to inform you, and that we might write down the names of the men who were at their head. 11“Thus they answered us, saying, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. 12‘But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. 13‘However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14‘Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. 15‘He said to him, “Take these utensils, go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem and let the house of God be rebuilt in its place.” 16‘Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been under construction and it is not yet completed.’ 17“Now if it pleases the king, let a search be conducted in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, if it be that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his decision concerning this matter.”

This is not just an interesting chapter in history. This is insight into how we, as followers of Yeshua, should act. Yes, we can be mindful of the government. However, there are times when God will call us to obey Him over the misguided direction of the government. I can think of the recent years of restrictive policy around concern for an illness. It affected many countries, but in particular the US is what I am most familiar with. There were states that would allow gambling establishments and sports arenas to be crowded, but then insist that churches could not be opened for public health concerns. This was nonsense and quite a few pastors and congregations took a stand, to their credit. They were going to fight for their right to worship and gather in Jesus’ name.

Prayerfully reflect on what this may mean for you in your life. What are some things where you may need to stand up for God, even if some leaders in government or business or the community are standing against you? Ask the Spirit to lead you.

As a parting thought, don’t think of Ezra only as the Jews rebuilding the temple. Instead, think of it as God’s people restoring proper relationship with Him according to His ways! This is so totally relevant to us today as many of us seek to do the same thing in the midst of much false teaching that pervades society in general, but even many churches. Get back to restoring your relationship with God according to His instruction! Do not let adversaries stop you!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help Your people to stand firm and have courage to do what You call us to do, even when we face opposition. Raise up strong, god-fearing leaders who will unite us as Your people and have positive influence over communities and government. Protect us from our adversaries, who truly are Your adversaries. Raise up the righteous and defeat the wicked and worldly who would stop Your people from living as You call us to. 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.