Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Through Prophets

Yes… Jehovah Was Serious About The Sabbath

Jehovah has been consistent since the beginning. He set the example for us to follow to honor the Sabbath from the time of creation itself. He rested on the seventh day from the work He had completed. Then He blessed and sanctified it.

Genesis 2:2-3

2By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Throughout scripture, Jehovah reinforces His purpose for Sabbath and His command for man to rest on the Sabbath. He did not create or command Sabbath for His benefit, but for ours. Those who refuse to obey Him do so to their own loss.

Mark 2:27

” 27Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Jehovah even made special effort to lead and teach His people to honor the Sabbath while they left Egypt and traveled through the wilderness to the promised land.

Exodus 16:22-36

The Sabbath Observed

      22Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23then he said to them, “This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.” 24So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it. 25Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. 26“Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none.”

      27It came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions? 29“See, the LORD has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30So the people rested on the seventh day.

      31The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey. 32Then Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded, ‘Let an omerful of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omerful of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations.” 34As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the Testimony, to be kept. 35The sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36(Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)

Some claim the Sabbath is no longer relevant… but Jesus and His disciples honored the Sabbath, as did Paul. The disciples of Christ obeyed Sabbath even after Jesus rose from the dead and then went back to heaven. Sabbath has not become obsolete.

Luke 4:14-16

 14And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. 15And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. 16And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.

For those who still have trouble believing that Sabbath is still relevant as a day of rest and worship… you have a homework assignment. Find a verse where Jesus, His disciples, or Paul teach not to observe the Sabbath. Now observe their behavior. Even after Jesus died and rose again, there are something like 85 references to disciples or Paul observing Sabbath as significant in Acts alone!

The simple truth is that Sabbath is still relevant… and it really is fairly easy to observe. We just rest and worship. Do we really feel that we are too busy and that everything we do is so valuable we can’t possibly stop one day a week to rest and spend time with our family and with Jehovah? I used to make excuses about not observing Sabbath as well, but ultimately there is no valid reason in scripture to ignore Sabbath… just a bunch of worldly customs to stay busy doing stuff all the time. It has been a wonderful and transformative experience for me and for my family and my relationship with Jehovah to honor the Sabbath. I encourage you to prayerfully ask our Father to help you to embrace His commands. He created Sabbath for us and for our benefit!

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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.

Doubt / Lacking Faith, Grace / Forgiveness, Obeying God, Provider, Speaking, Through Prophets

The Grace and Provision of Jehovah

Have you ever gone out of your way to really help someone else who was in need. Not just a little help, but fundamentally transforming their lives in a certain area. Perhaps bringing them out of addiction or adopting them to bring them into a loving home or bringing them to know the joy of Jehovah through Jesus Christ. Imagine if all they did was complain and whine about it and say they wish they were back where they started? How would that make you feel?

It is easy to imagine us losing interest in wanting to continue helping this person when they respond that way… ungrateful. How gracious is Jehovah in His love and provision for His people. Even after He has performed many miracles, over and over in the sight of the people, leading them out of slavery in Egypt and into freedom… many whine and complain. Yes, really.

While we may easily be able to understand if Jehovah responded by sending them back to slavery, we see that is not His way. He tests and teaches His people to follow and obey His instruction. He is preparing them to be ready to take the promised land. They are not ready yet.

Exodus 16:1-21

The LORD Provides Manna

      1Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. 2The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the LORD’S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

      4Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. 5“On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening you will know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt; 7and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, for He hears your grumblings against the LORD; and what are we, that you grumble against us?”

The LORD Provides Meat

      8Moses said, “This will happen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the LORD hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD.”

      9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your grumblings.’” 10It came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12“I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’”

      13So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. 15When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16“This is what the LORD has commanded, ‘Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.’” 17The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. 18When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. 19Moses said to them, “Let no man leave any of it until morning.” 20But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt.

Let us each challenge ourselves to avoid grumbling complaints about where and how Jehovah is leading us. Instead, pray He will help us to trust and obey joyfully. Then let us also help one another by focusing on the good things Jehovah provides for us even when times are tough. Finally, let us obey Him and do things His way even if they do not seem to make sense to us!

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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.

Miracles, Prayer, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Speaking, Through Prophets

Jehovah Will Help You On Your Way To The Promised Land

How often do we turn to our heavenly Father when we are in need, and then, when the immediate circumstances improve, we turn back away from Him and try to do things our own way? Our Father wants not only for us to draw near to Him through difficult times, but also to stay near to Him when those difficult times start to improve. He can not only deliver us out of bondage and suffering, but also deliver us to the land of promise… as He did for His people after leading them out of Egypt.

Exodus 15:22-27

The LORD Provides Water

      22Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25Then he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.
There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. 26And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.”

      27Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.

Jehovah did not just lead the people out of bondage in Egypt and then leave them to find their own way. Nor did He force Himself upon them when they grew bitter. Nor did He answer when they complained and grumbled. It was when a righteous man, Moses, asked for help with water that Jehovah responded and provided. Moses did well to turn back to Jehovah when he needed help, even after they had already been delivered from bondage.

How can this same principle apply to you in your life? Do you ask Jehovah for help with the big issues and then once the crisis is past try to do it on your own? Ask Him to help you along your whole journey in life, not just parts of it.

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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.

Character of God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God

Take Time To Praise Jehovah

How often do we find ourselves taking time to pray and cry out to Jehovah for help when things are not going well for us? Yet when He answers, do we take as much time and passion to thank Him and praise Him? All too often after He delivers us, we just refocus on our daily life and activities without even taking time to praise Him as He deserves. We certainly take time to thank people when they help us, why not Jehovah?

Moses and the Israelites demonstrate this well after they were delivered by Jehovah from the Egyptians at the Red Sea.  Let us consider their example.

Exodus 15:1-21

The Song of Moses and Israel

      1Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and said,
“I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted;
The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.

      2“The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
This is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will extol Him.

      3“The LORD is a warrior;
The LORD is His name.

      4“Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;
And the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.

      5“The deeps cover them;
They went down into the depths like a stone.

      6“Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power,
Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.

      7“And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You;
You send forth Your burning anger, and it consumes them as chaff.

      8“At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled up,
The flowing waters stood up like a heap;
The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.

      9“The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil;
My desire shall be gratified against them;
I will draw out my sword, my hand will destroy them.’

      10“You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them;
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

      11“Who is like You among the gods, O LORD?
Who is like You, majestic in holiness,
Awesome in praises, working wonders?

      12“You stretched out Your right hand,
The earth swallowed them.

      13“In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed;
In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation.

      14“The peoples have heard, they tremble;
Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia.

      15“Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed;
The leaders of Moab, trembling grips them;
All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.

      16“Terror and dread fall upon them;
By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone;
Until Your people pass over, O LORD,
Until the people pass over whom You have purchased.

      17“You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance,
The place, O LORD, which You have made for Your dwelling,
The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

      18“The LORD shall reign forever and ever.”

      19For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea.

      20Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women out after her with timbrels and with dancing.

21Miriam answered them,
“Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted;
The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea.”

Take some time right now to reflect on Jehovah’s greatness and some specific ways in which He has delivered you. Praise Him. Focus on specific aspects of who He is and do not hurry through your praise. Take as much time to praise Him as you do to call out for help when you need it from Him.

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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.

Heaven and Hell, Hope, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Prophecy, Salvation

Find Hope In Christ Jesus

We will experience joy and suffering in this world. In the end, all of us will die. Many find this uncomfortable to think about because they do not really believe in life after death… not in the same way they believe in gravity or the wind. Even though we can not see gravity or the wind, we believe because we see evidence of it around us in daily life. It can be a bit harder to fully trust in salvation through Christ and life after death. It helps if we study the Bible, pray for God to open our eyes to His glory, and seek to apply His instructions in our lives. Then we can start to recognize the evidence of God at work in the world and our lives around us more easily.

We can trust completely in God in all things, including what He promises us about life after death for those who submit to and follow Christ… those who truly believe will reflect that belief in their actions.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

Those Who Died in Christ

      13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Put your faith in God and trust Him in our hope of resurrection after death. Of course, we must submit to and follow Jesus in more than just words. We must do so wholeheartedly. But the faithful can take heart that no matter what this world holds for us, we will go to be with God after and when Jesus returns again, we will rise again physically to be with Him.

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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.

All Powerful / King of All, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Miracles, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Suffering / Adversity, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Trust Jehovah Even When All Seems Lost

It seems that we, as humans, have a very short memory at times. We see God acting in our lives and in the world around us and we are fine and stand with faith. However, when that faith is tested, we often fade in our faith in God. We doubt. We fear. We do not trust.

God wants His people to trust Him even when all seems lost by our earthly eyes, when we know the situation is beyond our ability to manage it to the outcome we want. This is when the strength of our faith is truly tested.

The Israelites had just witnessed great miracles as God demonstrated His power to lead them out of Egypt. Over and over again, God demonstrated His power over the Egyptians… over everything really. Yet even after all that, when the Egyptians came after them, they still had so little faith in God.

Exodus 14

Pharaoh in Pursuit

      1Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. 3“For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4“Thus I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.

      5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; 7and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly. 9Then the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

      10As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? 12“Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

The Sea Is Divided

      13But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. 14“The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.”

      15Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 16“As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17“As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18“Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.”

      19The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.

      21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. 22The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. 24At the morning watch, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. 25He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”

      26Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.” 27So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained. 29But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

      30Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses.

Take some time to prayerfully consider and perhaps write down some of the things God has done in your life. What has He helped you overcome? What difficult situations has He used to your benefit that you did not realize until after they were over? Take some time to thank Him and praise Him.

Next time you encounter a difficult time, remind yourself of how God is working in your life and that you can trust Him no matter what hardship comes your way.

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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.

Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Suffering / Adversity

When Times Are Tough, Show God’s Stuff… Don’t Pout And Sit It Out

When things go wrong in your life, do you pout and sit it out, getting mad at Jehovah? or Do you let God’s light and love shine through you? Imagine if people lied about you and tried to kill you. Then you were arrested and left in prison without a trial for years. By the, way… you did nothing wrong. Then you are sent to another city for trial and the boat you are on wrecks and you are stranded on an island. And all this happens to you while you are following God’s agenda for your life faithfully. All of this happened to Paul. He could have become upset and bitter or angry at God and refused to continue walking in faith and sharing God’s word, but he did not. He remained faithful to God through it all and God continued to bless him and protect him… though not perhaps in the way most of us would expect if we asked God for a blessing.

Acts 28:1-10

Safe at Malta

      1When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta. 2The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all. 3But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 4When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” 5However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 6But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

      7Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days. 8And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured. 10They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.

God did not release Paul from prison… He used the experience to let Paul witness before rulers and kings. God did not protect Paul from a shipwreck while Paul was traveling where God wanted him to go… He used it to let Paul witness to people he would not have otherwise met. However God did still protect Paul from the snake, to the glory of God’s kingdom. God’s ways are not our ways. We do best to trust Him anyway, even when we do not understand.

Ask yourself in what ways you may be allowing yourself to be angry or bitter or even a bit disappointed in God based on things not working out exactly like you want. Then go humbly before God in prayer to ask forgiveness for this and ask His help for you to live more joyfully even through tough times. It is when things are darkest that God’s light shines brightest through us… if we let it.

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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.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Love, Obeying God, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

What Does God Require From Me?

Have you ever wondered what God (Jehovah) requires of you? There is much debate among even believers about what God requires of His people. We should look to His word for the answer. God has provided in scripture several summaries to help us get our minds around it. However, in order to properly follow it we must study and pray for God’s help and choose to change our ways and follow His. It is a journey of a lifetime and it is a joy and not a burden to those who love God.

Matthew 22:36-40

36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And He [Jesus] said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38“This is the great and foremost commandment. 39“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Loving God and loving people. Simple sounding summary but it is often misunderstood because what our society today defines as love is different than what God defines as love. The world tells us that to love someone is to accept them unconditionally as they are… this is not loving God or loving people. Do I show love to my children by letting them do or believe whatever they want? or do I show love to them by instructing and guiding them in truth? I tell my children not to touch a hot stove… I rebuke them and set guidelines for them to steer them in the right way. I show my love for them by guiding and instructing them. They show their love for me by obeying, not by disregarding what I say and doing what they think is right… even when they do not fully understand why I give certain boundaries.

God clearly, and repeatedly, emphasizes obedience to His ways as the answer to “how to love God”. Our motivation is love of God and love of people, but how we demonstrate this through our actions and attitudes is by obeying God’s word.

John 14:15

  15“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

John 14:23-24

23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

God provides another summary of what He requires of us in Deuteronomy 10.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13

   12“Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?

Again we see similar instruction from God. Fear (e.g. respect, revere) God. Walk in His ways and love Him. Do not walk in your own ways or the ways of the world. Serve God with all your heart and soul… not just part of it. Keep His commandments and statutes… for your own good!

Many try to avoid acknowledging the need to obey all God’s commands and statutes as how they should be showing love to God. Instead they want to just call on His name and “have positive thoughts and feelings about Him”. God is displeased by this approach. God wants us to show love by obeying what He has instructed us to do. The first step to doing that is to humbly admit we do not have it all figured out… our society around us and even our church does not have it all figured out. We must pray for His help and study scripture consistently to better understand and apply His instructions to our lives to truly show our love for Him.

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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.

Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer

Learning To Pray Effectively: Protection From The Wicked

David was a man after God’s own heart. He wrote many of the Psalms and we can learn a lot from David by observing his relationship with God through the Psalms. Read through Psalm 5 and we will highlight some keys to effective prayer that David demonstrates.

Psalm 5

      1Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my groaning.

      2Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,
For to You I pray.

      3In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

      4For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with You.

      5The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes;
You hate all who do iniquity.

      6You destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.

      7But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house,
At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.

      8O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes;
Make Your way straight before me.

      9There is nothing reliable in what they say;
Their inward part is destruction itself.
Their throat is an open grave;
They flatter with their tongue.

      10Hold them guilty, O God;
By their own devices let them fall!
In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out,
For they are rebellious against You.

      11But let all who take refuge in You be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And may You shelter them,
That those who love Your name may exult in You.

      12For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD,
You surround him with favor as with a shield.

Let us consider a few key elements to effective prayer that we can observe in this Psalm.

  • David openly comes before God, readily admitting that he is suffering and asks for help.
  • David prays to Jehovah… and only to Jehovah.
  • David commits to meeting God in prayer each morning. He has so much faith God will answer that he says he will eagerly watch after he prays. David expects God to answer.
  • David spends time focused on the character of God… He hates wickedness, no evil within Him, hates those who do iniquity, does not like those who boast in themselves… and so on. David is focused on God rather than just being focused on His problems.
  • David again honors God by committing to bowing before Him.
  • David recognizes God’s abundant lovingkindness as the reason he will be able to come before God.
  • David asks for God to lead him in righteousness… meaning doing things God’s way. David asks God to show him God’s way rather than just answering the way David thinks it should be.
  • David now, far into the psalm, asks God for help dealing with his enemies.
  • David demonstrates his faith and trust in God by acknowledging joy, gladness and shelter that God provides for those who love Him.
  • David again acknowledges that any blessings that come to the righteous come from God, including protection.

Spend some time humbly before God in prayer asking Him to lead you to a more effective prayer life. Ask Him to reveal to you changes that you should make in your prayer life and relationship with God. Expect Him to answer. Make changes in your prayer life based on the elements we shared in this article. Make a plan to study and learn more about effective prayer. It does not have to be complicated. It may even start as simple as joining us every Friday for this extra post on effective prayer and then reviewing and practicing it throughout the week.

You can study more teachings about effective prayer. (click for more: Learning to Pray Effectively teaching or Learning to Pray Effectively category of teachings.)

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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.

All Knowing, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Protector / Deliverer

Taking The Long Way… On Purpose

After terrorists flew planes into the twin towers in New York years ago, many people were shaken and actually turned toward Jehovah for answers. I know a single mother who has been through a lot of trials, and her faith in God has come out stronger than before she endured them. I have read about a particular online blogger who is doing very well today, but first went through a season of unemployment that seemed to be quite scary. Now, he readily praises God in that that situation in his life prepared and seasoned him to be more faithful and trusting of God in his life. In my personal life, the worst failures I endured have brought me closer to God and strengthened my relationship with Him.

We see this same theme throughout scripture over and over. Joseph and David were seasoned and prepared by God through difficult times to be better able to be faithful to God and obey Him.

The same is true when God led the people out of Egypt and into the wilderness. The journey did not take long because God got lost. God was actively and intentionally preparing His people along the way for what He knew was to come later.

Exodus 13:17-22

God Leads the People

      17Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt. 19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.” 20Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

When things do not go the way you expect, when God shows you something He is going to do in your life, but you seem to be taking the long way to get there… prayerfully turn to God and ask Him to help you be patient and learn the lessons He has planned for you. Do not consider it a failure just because something does not happen quickly, in your desired timing.

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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.

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