All posts by John (HFJ Director)

Can God Use Me?, Consequences of Sin, Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Parenting

Repeating Mistakes of Our Parents

Sometimes we seem vulnerable to repeat the same mistakes our family has made before. Twice Abraham deceived people in a foreign land by claiming Sarah was his sister and not his wife. Once while in Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20) and a second time deceiving Abimelech (Genesis 20). In both cases, Sarah was taken from Abraham and God intervened directly to salvage the situation. Despite having faith for which God declared Abraham righteous, he could not seem to rely on God in this one area.

We learn in Genesis 26:1-11 that Isaac was prone to the same mistake. Fortunately God in His grace is able to use those who are faithful, despite our mistakes and weaknesses! 

26 A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.

2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. 3 Live here as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. I hereby confirm that I will give all these lands to you and your descendants,[a] just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. 4 I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 5 I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.” 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

7 When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, “She is my sister.” He was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful.” 8 But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out his window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah.

9 Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, “She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”

“Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me,” Isaac replied.

10 “How could you do this to us?” Abimelech exclaimed. “One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin.”

11 Then Abimelech issued a public proclamation: “Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death!”

It is not clear what leads up to Abimelech witnessing Isaac caressing Rebekah. Was it just probability and enough time that it was bound to be observed? Was it God providing for Isaac and Rebekah through Abimelech? Was it the fact that Abimelech was wary of these things having been fooled by Abraham in the past?

Abimelech genuinely seems to be concerned about a code of honor and accountability regarding this specific issue of another man’s wife. Once he is aware of the situation, he clearly handles it in a way that will help protect Isaac and Rebekah, despite the deception. I genuinely appreciate Abimelech’s response.

At first, I find it hard to understand how Isaac can, in such a short span of time, both receive God’s promise directly from God and then not rely on God to protect him and his wife. Then as I reflect on my own life I can see the same pattern. I know I have heard from the Lord through the Holy Spirit and through His word in scripture. Yet, I still prepare to protect my family through my own actions.

I understand the mind set that Isaac wants to protect himself and his family.  Perhaps he could have sought to do it a better way. He made his wife vulnerable to being taken, as his mother had been twice before.  He repeated a situation that twice required God to directly intervene.

I can only speculate… had Abraham or Sarah shared these past experiences with Isaac? Had they shared with Isaac how they led to bad results and God had to intervene to redeem her? Perhaps if they had shared their mistakes with Isaac then he would have chosen not to repeat them?

For parents it is a good reminder that we should not try to hide our personal mistakes indefinitely, but rather look for the appropriate time and place to reveal them to our children so that they can learn from those experiences and not repeat them.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Obeying God, Suffering / Adversity

Seeing From a Human Point of View, Not From God’s

Matthew 16:21-28 continues after Jesus has just confirmed to His disciples that He is the “son of the living God”. After this revelation, which God had revealed to Peter and then Peter shared in the presence of the other disciples, Jesus began to tell His disciples more plainly that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and suffer at the hands of the elders.

21 From then on Jesus[j] began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him[k] for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?[l] Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. 28 And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

Peter calls Jesus to the side to reprimand Him for saying such things. Peter loved Jesus and did not want Him to come to any harm. Peter saw things from a man’s view. He got a very clear correction from Jesus. Then Jesus continued to explain.

We all see through the eyes of men. None of us can see through God’s eyes except perhaps through limited special revelation from God. We will all be subject to making Peter’s mistake when we see things around us that do not make sense such as death and illness, especially for the innocent and for those who serve God.

We must bring our concerns humbly before God and release them to Him, as we will see Jesus do later in scripture in the garden before He is taken into custody for crucifixion. We can ask for help, of course, but are called to submit to God’s will even when we do not understand it.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Character of God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:13-20 directly confirms that Jesus is both man and God. He self identifies as the Son of Man and then also praises Peter when Peter identifies Jesus as the Son of the living God.

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”[c]

14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,[d] the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John,[e] because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’),[f] and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell[g] will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid[h] on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit[i] on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

20 Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

We could have an interesting discussion on why Jesus told His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah at this time. Ultimately we can only speculate on this but perhaps a simple explanation is just that it was not yet time to reveal His full identity. In His later ministry He no longer warns people not to tell that He is Messiah… in fact He openly admits He is God.

Jesus makes a strong statement that He is founding His church upon a rock… a solid foundation. Observe that in context of how Jesus refers to church in the gospels He is not referring to a single congregation of believers or a building. Jesus refers to the church as those who accept Him as God, wherever they are across the world and across time.

Further, the rock, which is the foundation of the church can not be simply one man, Peter. Jesus did not come down to live and die among us for Peter to be the foundation of the church… the eternal fellowship of believers in Jesus as God. In context of other scriptures, we know that Jesus is the head of the church, not Peter. In another scripture, Jesus is presented as the groom and the church as the bride… once again clearly putting Jesus as the leader of the church.

The rock upon which the church is built, which all the power of Hell can never conquer is simply the truth that God revealed to Peter and Peter just used to answer Jesus a few moments earlier.

  16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,[d] the Son of the living God.”

The rock that is the foundation of the church is that Jesus is the son of the living God… that Jesus is God.

One might also observe that Jesus did not say the church will not be challenged, but rather that it will not be conquered… destroyed. The church is always challenged and attacked… often by those who claim to be part of the church.

Reflect for a few moments…

  • How have you been thinking of Jesus’ earthly ministry? Did you realize He was fully man and fully God?  As you think about His earthly ministry, does this bring forth any new insights? What are the implications?
  • The most foundational principle for the church is that Jesus is God revealed to us. All Christians fundamentally accept this as fact… or they are not Christian.  Does this truth direct the choices you make in your life? Do you study His word daily? Seek Him in prayer as He instructed? Do you submit to Him or plan your own agenda?

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Discerning / Judging, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, False Prophets / Teachers, Miracles, Parables, Wickedness / Evil

Beware The Yeast of The Pharisees and Sadducees

Matthew 16:5-12 continues after the Pharisees and Sadducees just demanded a miraculous sign from Jesus (again) to prove His authority in verses 1-4. Jesus pointed out that their motivation is evil and they had more than enough evidence in front of them to see He is from heaven but they refuse to acknowledge it.

Following that encounter, Jesus warns His disciples about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

5 Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 8 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? 9 Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? 10 Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? 11 Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

12 Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Jesus once again uses a comparison of something his disciples are familiar with to demonstrate an important element of kingdom truth. Jesus compares of false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees to yeast in bread. Just as a little yeast can change the character of the whole loaf of bread so too can even a little false teaching change how we understand the character of our worship and obedience to God. We must be careful to avoid any false teaching and avoid making excuses to accept “a little” false teaching.

If we are unsure of whether or not something is correct or false we are not called to just accept it because someone else said it was so, but rather study scripture and seek God in prayer to determine what is true and verify what we were told.

As a side note, I can easily identify with the disciples… starting to argue about who forgot the bread. All to often even those who genuinely love Jesus and desire to serve Him can miss the point or get distracted by events around them. Jesus is gracious enough to redirect us and get us back on track and focused… if we are submitted to Him and listening to Him.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Show Me A Sign To Prove Your Authority

2 Comments

Jesus performed many miraculous signs throughout His earthly ministry, the most miraculous being His death and resurrection. Some saw and believed in Him as God and some rejected Him, despite the evidence they themselves witnessed.

In Matthew 12:38-45, we saw Jesus cast out demons only to be accused of being prince of demons and then immediately after that He is asked to show a miraculous sign. It is almost unbelievable that some are so convinced in their unbelief that they are not open to objectively evaluating the case for Christ, even when He Himself was right in front of them.

In Matthew 16:1-4, we see that the Pharisees and Sadducees once again come to demand a sign from Jesus. They have thus far ignored or attacked Him for every other miracle He has performed… but now they demand another.

16 One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

2 He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; 3 red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times![a] 4 Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.[b]” Then Jesus left them and went away.

Jesus points out that they are smart enough to assess signs around them and draw correct conclusions. He gives an example regarding weather patterns. But then He rebukes them for not interpreting the signs and miracles He is performing all around them. His next comment about an evil and adulterous generation is likely specific to the Pharisees and Sadducees demanding a sign as they ignore the ones He  provided or worse, attack Him for the signs and miracles He has already given. Bottom line is that they are choosing to reject Jesus as God, despite the evidence.

Jesus once again, as He did in Matthew 12, points to the sign of Jonah, which represents His death and resurrection… a miraculous and publicly witnessed and well documented event.

Whether 2000 years ago or today… Jesus has provided and documented for us many signs for us to look to for evidence. Why do so many quickly reject the signs He provided only to ask God to give them a sign?

Each of us should reflect periodically on the following questions.

  • Do I really accept Jesus as God?
  • If not, why not? What is holding me back?
  • If so, does my life reflect that through my actions, thoughts, and priorities reflected by how I spend time and money and how I treat people? Be careful not to measure yourself against what others are doing or say you should be doing. The correct measuring stick is to compare ourselves to what God says we should be doing and the example Jesus set in His earthly ministry.
  • Are you still looking for a sign before you fully commit? Have you devoted time to really studying God’s word and other historical evidence to evaluate the signs He already provided?

To get a quick start on studying, please visit our Study the Word  section of our website for recommended resources, many of which are available online for free.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Depression / Discouragement, Hope, Peace / Rest

You Will Keep In Perfect Peace All Who Trust In You

In this world there is much suffering and discouragement. Many fall even into depression. There is hope in the word of our God to encourage us and bring us joy even in trials.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! [Isaiah 26:3]

12 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.[b] 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. [Romans 12:1-2]

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. [Proverbs 3:5-6]

We are all susceptible to discouragement in our lives. None of us are above it. However, we can find much comfort in seeking God in prayer and through study of His word in the Bible. We depend on Him and trust Him rather than trusting our own understanding. We live God’s way instead of the world’s way.  Jesus is a source of hope and encouragement even when we do not fully understand why He allows difficult things to happen in our lives.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Can I Trust the Bible?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Study the Evidence of the Resurrection Objectively

We see examples in scripture where Pharisees and Sadducees make up wild explanations to explain away the miracles Jesus was plainly doing in the name of God right before their very eyes. People today who do not want to believe in Jesus continue to do the same today.

There is strong evidence of the following, for those who are willing to genuinely study it with an open mind, seeking truth rather than seeking to justify positions they already hold that reject Jesus.

  • Jesus was a real historical figure who performed many miracles
  • Jesus claimed to be God
  • Jesus was brutally tortured, crucified, killed, and buried in a tomb
  • On the third day, the tomb was empty despite guard by Roman soldiers
  • Jesus appeared before many witnesses after His death
  • The disciples were transformed through the death and resurrection of Jesus from those who would hide or deny Him (e.g. Peter) to those willing to suffer and die to proclaim Him.

It is difficult to capture the detailed study of each in a devotional or post. Each of these points can be, and have been, more fully developed by Christian scholars in a variety of books. There are also additional evidences including fulfillment of prophecy that are powerful testimony to the truth of Jesus Christ as God.

I encourage each of you to spend time studying objectively to convince yourselves where the evidence really leads. Even if you believe and already follow Jesus,  studying the evidence can better prepare you to share testimony with non-believers or just to strengthen your own faith for trials that may come your way.

Couple recommendations to get a quick start…

  • Christianity on Trial: Does the Christian faith hold up under scrutiny? What does science tell us about the plausibility of a god? Can we trust the alleged eyewitness testimony of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus?
  • The Third Day, by Hank Hanegraaff, examines factual evidences from the fatal torment and empty tomb to Christ’s appearances and transformation in a way that builds Christians’ confidence in sharing the truth of the gospel.
  • Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, by Nabeel Qureshi, describes a dramatic journey from Islam to Christianity including the friendships, experiences and investigation that led to conversion.
  • Josh McDowell Ministry, at www.Josh.org. As a young man, Josh McDowell considered himself an agnostic. He truly believed that Christianity was worthless. However, when challenged to intellectually examine the claims of Christianity, Josh discovered compelling, overwhelming evidence for the reliability of the Christian faith.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Children, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Family, Parenting, Righteousness / Serving God

“What Good Is My Birthright To Me Now?

We see in Genesis 25:27-34 some of the damage inflicted within a family when parents fail. Isaac and Rebekah chose favorites, perhaps unintentionally, but favorites none the less. When parents do this it creates a significant divide within the family instead of uniting the family together. Instead, as parents, we are to love each child for the unique gifts and personality God has given them… following the example of our Creator, who loves each of us despite our differences.

27 As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”)

31 “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”

32 “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”

33 But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.

As we continue to read in scripture we will later read in Genesis 27 how Jacob tricks Isaac into giving him the blessing intended for Esau. However, we see clearly in Genesis 25 that Esau showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn and agreed foolishly to give them to Isaac in trade for… yes… one bowl of stew.

There is much we could discuss about the dysfunctional behavior of both Isaac and Esau within this family… and Isaac and Rebekah as well. It is disappointing to see the grandchildren  of Abraham acting so poorly and acting so clearly on their internal sin nature instead of turning to God and following His instruction.

It is a clear reminder for each of us to focus as parents on the importance of following God’s instruction and example in loving and raising our children. We must actively seek God and parent well. Children will not raise themselves in a godly manner. Sometimes parenting can be a very difficult task to do in a righteous and thorough manner. It is not for the lazy or faint of heart.

Join me in praying for Christian parents around the world to raise their children in a righteous manner and help lead them to God. If you are a parent or grandparent,  seek ways you can help raise the next generations. There are many in the world who will try to lead them astray and they must be well rooted in the Bible and in Jesus Christ as the only path to knowing God.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Abortion, Children, Family, Hearing from God, Interceding for Others, Prophecy

God Answers Isaac’s Prayer With Esau and Jacob

We see in Genesis 25:19-26 Isaac coming before God in prayer, asking for help on Rebekah’s behalf so that she could have children. This scripture takes place after 20 years of marriage in which they have not been able to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer.

19 This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham. 20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.

21 Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 22 But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.

23 And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”

24 And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! 25 The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau.[b] 26 Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob.[c] Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

In addition to answering Isaac’s prayer, God also answers Rebekah when she calls upon Him. His answer is significant. While the children are still unborn, still in Rebekah’s womb, God shares the future that will unfold for these two children. We should note that this is one of many instances throughout the Bible in which God tells His people accurately in advance what will in the future come to pass.

Implicit in this exchange with God is the recognition that the babies are in fact people… are in fact alive… before they are born. While this seems obvious to many of us, it stands in stark contrast to the worldly message that promotes abortion, the murder of unborn children in their mother’s wombs for the convenience of the mother.

God did not say to Rebekah… “Wait until they are born to see if they are people and then we can talk about their lives.” Of course not!

Children are alive from the moment of conception, before the mother is typically even aware she is pregnant. From then on it is a life, independent and created in the image of God and not to be dismissed.

For those who have supported or participated in abortion, you should not stay in denial, trying to justify the mistake, but rather seek forgiveness before God and repent wholeheartedly. Our God is big enough to forgive our sins if we repent and submit to Him! Help others to make the right choice.

For more information regarding counseling or programs to help stop abortion, click the following link.

http://hearingfromjesus.org/resources/crisis-help-abortion/

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Can God Use Me?, Consequences of Sin, Faith / Trusting God, Family, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness

Abraham’s Legacy

Abraham’s greatest legacy was not in his wealth or earthly possessions. His greatest legacy was through his children and through God’s blessing as it continued to the next generation. Genesis 25:1-18 shows us the good and the bad of Abraham’s legacy. God blessed Abraham richly because of his faith. However, there were also real consequences for the mistakes Abraham made. Specifically we see that Ishmael’s descendants lived in open hostility to their relatives.

25 Abraham married another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s descendants were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 4 Midian’s sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were all descendants of Abraham through Keturah.

5 Abraham gave everything he owned to his son Isaac. 6 But before he died, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them off to a land in the east, away from Isaac.

7 Abraham lived for 175 years, 8 and he died at a ripe old age, having lived a long and satisfying life. He breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. 10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the Hittites and where he had buried his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer-lahai-roi in the Negev.

12 This is the account of the family of Ishmael, the son of Abraham through Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant. 13 Here is a list, by their names and clans, of Ishmael’s descendants: The oldest was Nebaioth, followed by Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These twelve sons of Ishmael became the founders of twelve tribes named after them, listed according to the places they settled and camped. 17 Ishmael lived for 137 years. Then he breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. 18 Ishmael’s descendants occupied the region from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt in the direction of Asshur. There they lived in open hostility toward all their relatives.

We are to strive, as Abraham did, to make good and righteous choices that honor God. We should never consider God’s offer of grace and forgiveness as an “opportunity” to intentionally ignore or reject God and sin… thinking that later He will forgive us. This attitude would be an abuse of God’s offer for forgiveness and neglects both the recognition that there are consequences for our mistakes and that forgiveness and grace require genuine repentance rather than just empty words of repentance. Those who are genuinely seeking Christ do not intentionally plot and scheme to take advantage of God’s grace and forgiveness.

—-

Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2