All posts by John (HFJ Director)

Character of God, Hearing from God, Obeying God

I Know The Plans I Have For You

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fasting, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables

Do Not Put New Wine In Old Wineskins

Jesus teaches in Matthew 9:14-17 about the need to accept the good news of the gospel He brings, without holding on to the religious rituals that the people had gotten used to under leadership of the Pharisees. The new covenant builds on the foundation of the old covenant, and leads people away from onerous man-made rules. Instead, we are called to accept Jesus as lord and savior and follow Him… to accept His offer of salvation through grace.

14 One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast[f] like we do and the Pharisees do?”

15 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

16 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

When you accept Jesus Christ, you must leave man-made rules and requirements behind. It is not only the Pharisees long ago, but even many churches today that have created and maintain extra rules beyond what God commands. In some cases they are the basis for different denominations of faith in Jesus Christ.

You can not accept the grace of Jesus Christ and then require yourself to execute a bunch of rules made by men. It does not work… like putting new wine in old wineskins will burst the wineskins.

Focus on knowing the will of God and following Jesus Christ. When you serve and follow Christ it absolutely changes your behavior and attitude and you become more like Him and less like the world.

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Hypocrisy, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin, Share the Good News

Bring the Good News to Sinners

Jesus clearly reminds us in Matthew 9:9-13 that we are to bring the good news of the gospel to sinners. To do so requires that we interact with sinners. However that does not mean we need to endorse their sin or sin with them. On the contrary, we show them by our behavior and teach them with our words the truth of God’s word.

9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?[d]”

12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’[e] For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Matthew must clearly have known already who Jesus was or he would not have immediately dropped everything and followed Jesus. Matthew also must have known that he was a sinner and not worthy to serve a holy servant of God. Imagine his delight to receive the invitation. He leapt at the chance, leaving everything else behind.

Jesus extends that same invitation to us today. Will we sit in place, remaining in our sin? or jump up to leave sin behind, change our behaviors, and follow Jesus Christ?

There is a message here also for those who feel they are no longer sinners… that they have overcome sin… you have not. Maintain humility and submit to God. Continue on your journey to grow closer to Him. Remember, as soon as you believe you have “arrived”, that is as far as you will ever go.

As we follow Jesus, we are called to bring as many sinners with us as possible. Do not exclude anyone. We follow God’s example… we tell them the truth, allow them the choice to follow Jesus. They are responsible for making the decision to accept the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ. We cannot accept Jesus for them or force them to accept Him.

As a final word of caution as you evangelize… do not miss the example Jesus provides in distinguishing between His inner circle of disciples and those who are openly sinful. His close friends are those who are receptive to the message of the gospel and seeking God. He goes with them to visit with and share the gospel with open sinners who do not yet know God. It is a dangerous trap for someone to try to persuade open sinners to follow God by making them very close friends… you risk instead being influenced away from God.

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Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Jesus is Not a Prophet; He is God

I am surprised by people who claim that Jesus was a good man or prophet of God, but not God Himself. There are many scriptures in the Old Testament that prophecy and point forward to Jesus Christ. In the New Testament there are many references where Jesus claims to be God.  One such scripture is Matthew 9:1-7.

9 Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. 2 Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”

3 But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?”

4 Jesus knew[a] what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man[b] has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

7 And the man jumped up and went home! 8 Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority.[c]

One must accept Jesus Christ as God Himself, a madman, or a liar. There is no middle ground of “good man” or “prophet of God”.  For those of us who have eyes to see and ears to hear… we know Jesus as God.

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Creation, Faith / Trusting God

Evolution Requires More Faith Than Creation

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I am often surprised how many people dogmatically insist that evolution, called even by its strongest supporters only a “theory”, is the only or even the most credible explanation for the infinite complexity we witness in the world around us.

Imagine with me for a moment that we are on a hike through the woods… where nobody lives… we have not seen anyone in days. We come across a clearing, clean and organized. In the middle of the clearing is a cabin, made out of wood of nearby trees. It has a door, windows, and when we open it there is furniture. All of it made from the same wood of the nearby trees. Even the most confident evolutionist would conclude that there must be someone around who cleared the land and built the cabin and furniture… even though they could not prove it. Although, they had not seen anyone in days of traveling the area, they know that even something as simple as a cabin and furniture can not create itself from the nearby trees. There must be a creative force… in the case of the cabin… a person or people who designed and built it. To say that it happened randomly over the past several hundred years would be laughable.

Why then do these same people, when they see all the infinite complexity of our universe, assume the most likely conclusion is that it happened randomly instead of by the work of a creator… in this case, God. The difference is that when it comes to creation, these people already assume there is no God so must somehow explain His creation without Him.

Entropy is the scientific principle for things to go from order to disorder… not from disorder to infinitely complex order. You mow your lawn to keep it neat, it does not work to leave it alone and watch it “evolve” to stay in neat order over time. I put phone cords into the cabinet separately and they come out tangled, never the other way around. If I build a house and leave it alone, it degrades and needs repair. To accept as science a theory (e.g. evolution) that suspends the scientific principle of entropy is akin to explaining how airplanes fly by assuming that gravity does not exist…. because you refuse to accept aerodynamics.

If evolution were even possible, which it is not, it is not the most likely hypothesis. A creative force is needed to bring order from chaos or disorder. In this case, God.  Objectively, the evidence points to a divine creator… to God. To insist that God does not exist and then rationalize a different creation mechanism that is impossible or much less likely… that is not science… that is faith is the absence of God despite the evidence for God. I do not have enough faith to deny the existence of God.

[Psalms 19:1-4] The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.  Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.  Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

[Romans 1:20] For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

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Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Obeying God

Be Sure That Your Faith Is In God Alone

God calls us in His scripture to have faith in Him and in Him alone. We must first accept that He exists and is our creator. We must reject the so-called “wisdom” of the worldly that proclaim with confidence that God does not exist. We must put our faith in God alone.

Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good![Psalm 14:1]

6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. [Hebrews 11:6]

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. [James 1:5-8]

Have you truly accepted God as our creator? Do you put your faith in Him and Him alone? or do you “hedge your bets” by acknowledging Him with your words but living as the world does.

It can be uncomfortable as we first learn to put our faith and trust in God and God alone. The more we seek Him by studying the scriptures, communicate with Him through prayer, and change our behavior to model what He commands instead of what the world accepts… the easier it is to put our faith in God even during difficult situations.  Do not expect this transition to putting faith in God to be a like an “on/off” switch… but rather a long journey which you must first begin in order to eventually reach the destination.

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How do I get started?, Prayer

Am I Doing All the Talking? or Am I Listening to God Also?

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All too often people can get into a prayer routine that launches directly into a list of things they want from God as if they were ordering off a drive through menu at a fast food restaurant. God is not a drive through or a vending machine where we come up and command Him to give us what we want. He is our holy creator. He knows what is best for us. He knows what we need even before we ask. He has plans for us that are better than we can anticipate ourselves.

We should come before Him regularly even when we do not have a list of wants. We develop a relationship with Him through reading His word and consistent prayer. We share our needs and wants as a child would with their father. We seek His guidance and then listen and wait for it. We must spend a significant amount of time in studying the scriptures and in prayer… listening, undistracted, expecting to hear an answer. Sometimes we must wait.

Jesus provides a simple but deliberate framework for prayer when we come before our holy God in Matthew 6:9-13.

9 Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
    may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
    as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,[a]
12 and forgive us our sins,
    as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,[b]
    but rescue us from the evil one.[c]

Jesus helps us frame our mindset in prayer to one that recognized and focuses on God first… His holiness, His kingdom, His will… all to be focal points for earth as they are in heaven. After reflecting on God our creator, then we come before Him humbly and ask for His provision of what we need. Yes we can include desires, wants… but notice the focus from Jesus is really on needs… daily bread, not wealth and comfort. Jesus further reminds us to come before God daily in prayer, not once in awhile or only when we want something we can not get for ourselves or only when we need Him to fix mistakes we made. Finally, we should never neglect to seek God’s help to resist temptation and traps of the evil one, Satan… who is a very real enemy who wishes to separate us from God.

Challenge yourself to focus more on honoring His kingdom, His name, His will in your personal prayers. Spend more time asking His guidance and listening for a response than listing your wants and telling Him what you need.

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Children, Hearing from God, Obeying God

God Promises a Baby to Sarah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Am I on the path?, Demons, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteousness / Serving God

Jesus Casts Out Demons

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In Matthew 8:28-33, Jesus casts out demons from two violent men. We gain some insight into the relationship of Jesus, demons, and the people.

28 When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes,[g] two men who were possessed by demons met him. They lived in a cemetery and were so violent that no one could go through that area.

29 They began screaming at him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?”

30 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. 31 So the demons begged, “If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”

32 “All right, go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

33 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone.

A few observations to highlight:

  • Jesus wants to help even violent men whom others have given up on. Jesus, as son of God, has no fear of the two men in the cemetery.
  • The demons not only believe in Jesus, but they also recognize Him as son of God, when many religious people do not. However, they do not follow or serve Him. If we tell ourselves we “believe in” Jesus, or “know” Jesus… that puts us in the same relationship with Him as demons. The better question is “Do we follow and serve Jesus?”
  •  The demons recognize that Jesus has power over them. They know they can not win over Him. They simply ask why He is coming before the appointed time to torture them, presumably to cast them into Hell.
  • Jesus is not there to change the appointed time for the demons to be destroyed, just to help the men and demonstrate the power of God.  He casts the demons into the herd of swine at their request.
  • The immediate and dramatic change in the behavior of both the men and the pigs demonstrates a conclusive picture for those who witnessed it of the real existence of demons. They exist to destroy,  but are constrained by God to within certain boundaries.
  •  The herdsman fled and told everyone what happened to the demon possessed men. Instead of celebrating or worshipping Jesus, they asked Him to leave. How sad for people to clearly see the power of almighty God and have a response to push it away.

Reflect on these points and others in the scripture. How can you apply them to your life today?

Are you celebrating the power of God in your life? or pushing it away?

Do you “know” and “believe in” Jesus? or do you serve and follow Him? Can others tell? How does your life reflect this by being different from those around you who do not serve Jesus?

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