All posts by John (HFJ Director)

Controlling Thoughts, Parables

Take Control of Your Thought Life

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Can you imagine trying to watch TV or use the internet if you could not control what channels or websites kept pulling up in front of you on the screen!? Every time you select what you want to watch, there is a pop-up ad or program that you did not want to watch that keeps blocking your view and taking your time. It would be absolutely frustrating… no beyond that… maddening.

Now what if you knew all of those annoying pop-ups were based on choices we made on what to watch in the past? Would you determine to be more careful of what programming you selected to expose yourself to? Would not you take great effort to regain control of your screen, turning off what you don’t want and turning back to what you do want rather than just accepting what pops up randomly?

It can be that way also with regards to what ideas come into our minds throughout the day in different situations. To be sure, what comes to mind is influenced by what we allow ourselves to see and do… by what we focus our time and attention on. If we focus on those things that are right and good and true, than that is more likely to be what is on our mind. If we expose ourselves to pornography,  violence, greed or lust than that is what will be more likely to be on our mind. Once these thoughts and ideas are in our minds and hearts, they can be very hard to remove.

Guard your hearts. Actively control what you expose yourself to. Actively direct your thoughts to what is good and away from evil. Pray and seek help from the Holy Spirit.

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

Proverbs 4:23-27 23Watch over your heart with all diligence,
for from it flow the springs of life. 24Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you. 25Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. 26Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. 27Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil.

Isaiah 55:6-8 6Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. 7Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.

Philippians 4:8-9 8Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Take back control of your thought life starting today!

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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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Peace / Rest

Accept the Peace That Jesus Offers

There is, perhaps, no greater image for the peace that Jesus brings into the lives of believers than that of Jesus calming the storms while His disciples were frightened for their lives. Even as His followers, we can be overwhelmed and frightened by things happening around us. We can start to focus on the storm rather than on Jesus and His power over all things. When we trust in Jesus and focus on Him we can find true peace. We remind ourselves… Jesus is in control… He is able to intervene when He considers it appropriate… we can trust in Him.

Mark 4:35-41

35On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

As it is with a physical storm in the scripture above, so it can also be other difficulties or trials in our lives. Through all of the challenges we face in this world, we can find peace in our Lord, Jesus Christ. God has always offered peace to those who follow and obey Him. He continues to do so through to the end of the age.

Isaiah 26:1-4

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

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

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

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

Psalm 46

1God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.

2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;

3Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.

4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.

5God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.

6The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.

7The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

8Come, behold the works of the LORD,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.

9He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.

10“Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

11The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

John 14:26-31

26“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28“You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29“Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30“I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; 31but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.

God has always offered peace to those who believe in Him, who obey and follow Him from the very beginning with Adam and Eve. He offered them a peaceful existence with Him in paradise. Their choices to disobey God led to their leaving Eden. So too does God offer this same peace to us today through Jesus Christ. Like Adam and Eve, we too make choices to obey or rebel against God. Our choices determine whether we live in peace with God or choose to let sin separate us from God.

God became man, suffered and died for our sins… so that we could be forgiven and reconciled with God. When we make Jesus our leader and obey His commands we truly have reason to celebrate and find joy in the peace that He offers! And we will not be alone for the Father has sent a Helper in the Holy Spirit to dwell in us as comforter, counselor, teacher and guide. (Learn more about the Holy Spirit.)

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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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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Creation, Miracles

HFJ News: Focused Ministries – Creation

We are continuing our weekly Friday extra post of “HFJ News” which is intended to introduce our Christian community to different parts of the website or related resources that many find useful.  Links are provided for your convenience or you can just visit the site directly at HearingFromJesus.org and look around on your own.

One of the most obvious miracles of all time where God reveals Himself to everyone across all time is creation itself. Sadly, many who wish to reject God do so by suppressing the truth in unrighteousness trying to convince the world that such a marvelous and delicate creation could have happened and could be sustained through random events. It is absurd to argue evolution can replace God as creator because even if evolution were plausible, which it is not, it needs to start with something… and something living… and an environment in which that something lives. Who among us believes everything comes from nothing without a creator?

Psalm 19:1 1The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Romans 1:18-20 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

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Focused Ministries – Creation

  • Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively. They provide answers to questions about the Bible—particularly the book of Genesis—regarding key issues such as creation, evolution, science, and the age of the earth.
  • Creation Today seeks to impact individuals to know and defend our faith in Creator God and to wholeheartedly experience and share Him through the foundations of Scripture.
  • Institute for Creation Research focuses on scientific research within the context of biblical creation with purposes to educate and communicate the truth of God’s word.
  • Truth in Genesis provides many articles and videos supporting a Biblical Worldview.  Their mission is to uphold the authority of the Word of God, strengthen the faith of believers, and win the lost to Christ.

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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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Anger (unrighteous anger), Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Family, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Suffering / Adversity

Joseph’s Brothers Sell Him Into Slavery

We continue to see the build up of envy and resulting anger toward Joseph from his brothers as his father, Israel (formerly known as Jacob), sends Joseph to check on his older brothers. We already saw earlier in Genesis 37 that Joseph’s brothers resent him for the obvious favoritism Israel bestowed upon him and for the dreams Joseph had received from God that showed his family bowing down to him. There is no evidence in scripture that Israel ever tried to deal with this growing divide in his family. Instead, Joseph is sent out, wearing his fine tunic, and will face much difficulty and suffering at the hands of his brothers.

Genesis37:12-36

      12Then his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. 13Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “I will go.” 14Then he said to him, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

      15A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” 16He said, “I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock.” 17Then the man said, “They have moved from here; for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

The Plot against Joseph

      18When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death. 19They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer! 20“Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him.’ Then let us see what will become of his dreams!” 21But Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands and said, “Let us not take his life.” 22Reuben further said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father. 23So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him; 24and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.

      25Then they sat down to eat a meal. And as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and balm and myrrh, on their way to bring them down to Egypt. 26Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27“Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.

      29Now Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he tore his garments. 30He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there; as for me, where am I to go?” 31So they took Joseph’s tunic, and slaughtered a male goat and dipped the tunic in the blood; 32and they sent the varicolored tunic and brought it to their father and said, “We found this; please examine it to see whether it is your son’s tunic or not.” 33Then he examined it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34So Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35Then all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, “Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. 36Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s officer, the captain of the bodyguard.

Joseph’s brothers allow themselves to be driven to such anger by their jealousy that the even contemplate murdering him. This from the same group of brothers that ruthlessly sought revenge for their sister when she was mistreated. They had family loyalty in them… but allowed themselves to be blinded by jealousy against Joseph.

Reuben intervenes to prevent Joseph’s murder, but really does not take on the other brothers directly to speak against doing evil to Joseph. He tries to influence the situation but does not take it on and protect Joseph boldly. When he is not around, the others sell Joseph into slavery.

There is much deception within the family and much self-induced suffering.

Many of us today think that broken families are a new thing… that prior generations were more godly. Sometimes that is true and sometimes it is not. There is one thing for sure… division within families is not a new issue.

I urge you to pursue first the kingdom of God, including forgiveness, grace, mercy within your own family. Stand together for God rather than dividing within the family for earthly matters. Seek God together in prayer. Openly address conflict within your family rather than avoid it. Avoid favoritism at all costs.

Know that when we live by God’s rules, even broken families can be reconciled. We will see Joseph demonstrate this powerfully as we continue to follow the record of his life in Genesis. God restores the family, but only after Joseph’s brothers genuinely repent and Joseph demonstrates forgiveness on a level characteristic of a mature relationship with God.  He let’s go of bitterness and refuses to seek revenge when he has the power to get it. He returns good for evil. We should do the same.

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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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Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Family, Hearing from God, Parenting, Prophecy

Jacob’s Struggles As A Dad Hurt His Children

Jacob struggled as a husband, father, and leader of his family. He walked with God, but struggled in the area of family leadership. He had multiple wives, concubines, and even children through his wives’ maid servants. He mirrored the parenting mistakes of his parents by clearly identifying favorites within his wives and within his children. He created a fractured and broken family that was divided against itself rather than united together as a powerful force to support one another.

Genesis 37:1-11 records this leadership failure of Jacob and the impact it had on the next generation, his sons. Not only did Jacob magnify the problem of favoritism through things like Joseph’s special coat and putting Joseph in a position of responsibility over his older brothers, but the scripture gives no evidence of him helping coach or advise Joseph on how to handle this difficult and tricky situation. Joseph, as a youth, lacks wisdom of years and openly and enthusiastically shares his dreams with his brothers… fueling their jealousy even more.

      1Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. 2These are the records of the generations of Jacob.  Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic. 4His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.

      5Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have had; 7for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

      9Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?” 11His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

Verse 11 indicates that Jacob put credibility in the possibility that the dreams were from God especially when the dream was repeated. Jacob knew that God speaks in this way. There is no indication however that Jacob discusses the dreams and the possibility that they are from God with Joseph’s brothers. Nor is there any indication that he coaches Joseph in how to communicate on this topic with already hostile and jealous brothers.

Joseph’s brothers, left on their own, clearly understand the dream and hate Joseph even more for it. Ultimately they will be moved toward selling Joseph into slavery in an attempt to be rid of him and lie to their father that he died.

God, however, in His majesty, will not be stopped by the deceitful plotting of men.  His promises and prophecy is always true. God even uses the wrongful actions of the jealous brothers to lead to the fulfillment of all He has planned for Joseph.

For all of us that now have or came from broken families, take heart… be encouraged… God can heal the brokenness and even use it to His glory! As we continue through the life of Joseph documented in Genesis we will see Joseph living a righteous life according to God’s values and see him overcome hurt and pain without bitterness. God uses him in a glorious way and even restores the family despite all the brokenness they have experienced!

All things are possible when we seek after the kingdom of God. Pray for wisdom in your family relationships, pray that God would help all involved forgive one another as we wish to be forgiven by Him. Pray above all for God’s will to be done in your life and that of your family!

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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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Am I on the path?, Anger (unrighteous anger), Consequences of Sin, Discerning / Judging, Discipline / Correction, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, How do I get started?, Humility, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Peace / Rest, Righteousness / Serving God, Wickedness / Evil

Delight In The Will of God, For His Works Are Wonderful

God calls each of us to not only accept, but delight in His will rather than clinging stubbornly to our own. He is like a master craftsman working on a tapestry. He knows the entire picture, including not only the parts that have already been completed but also the parts that have yet to be completed. He sees the whole picture and how it works together. Each of us is but a single thread, without a view of the rest of the tapestry. He invites us to become part of His masterpiece. How often we stubbornly insist to God that we know what is best, but in truth… we see only a small part whereas He has great vision.

Psalm 37

  1Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not envious toward wrongdoers.

      2For they will wither quickly like the grass
And fade like the green herb.

      3Trust in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

      4Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.

      5Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

      6He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.

      7Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

      8Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

      9For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.

      10Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.

      11But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

      12The wicked plots against the righteous
And gnashes at him with his teeth.

      13The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees his day is coming.

      14The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow
To cast down the afflicted and the needy,
To slay those who are upright in conduct.

      15Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their bows will be broken.

      16Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.

      17For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the LORD sustains the righteous.

      18The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
And their inheritance will be forever.

      19They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,
And in the days of famine they will have abundance.

      20But the wicked will perish;
And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures, they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

      21The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous is gracious and gives.

      22For those blessed by Him will inherit the land,
But those cursed by Him will be cut off.

      23The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.

      24When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.

      25I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his descendants begging bread.

      26All day long he is gracious and lends,
And his descendants are a blessing.

      27Depart from evil and do good,
So you will abide forever.

      28For the LORD loves justice
And does not forsake His godly ones;
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.

      29The righteous will inherit the land
And dwell in it forever.

      30The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
And his tongue speaks justice.

      31The law of his God is in his heart;
His steps do not slip.

      32The wicked spies upon the righteous
And seeks to kill him.

      33The LORD will not leave him in his hand
Or let him be condemned when he is judged.

      34Wait for the LORD and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

      35I have seen a wicked, violent man
Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil.

      36Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more;
I sought for him, but he could not be found.

      37Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright;
For the man of peace will have a posterity.

      38But transgressors will be altogether destroyed;
The posterity of the wicked will be cut off.

      39But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their strength in time of trouble.

      40The LORD helps them and delivers them;
He delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.

Submit your will to the Master and embrace His will with delight!

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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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Evidence in Scripture, Hearing from God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prophecy, Share the Good News, Wickedness / Evil

Jesus Is Risen!

Jesus is risen! What wonderful news for those of us who submit to Him as Lord of our lives. We do not serve a dead Christ, but a living Christ… one who has overcome death and the grave! Let us rejoice in the glory of God’s plans and trust in Him.

In Matthew 28:1- 15 we experience the resurrection of Christ… the fulfillment of prophecy that Jesus told His disciples before His crucifixion. As we take a few moments to read and celebrate this wonderful event.

Jesus Is Risen!

      1Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

      8And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

      11Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. 12And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ 14“And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” 15And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

 

Let’s break this scripture down and look closely at it to see more detail that God is communicating to us in addition to the bigger message filled with joy that Jesus has risen.

1Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.

Jesus was crucified on Friday. He died early enough for His body to be put in the grave before Sabbath started Friday at sundown. Then nothing happened until after Sabbath was over on Saturday night at sundown. In fact, the next event occurs on Sunday morning… the first day of the week. God honored the framework of the Sabbath even in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ… as He also did following Creation of the universe when He rested on the seventh day. (Learn more about Sabbath.)

Jesus first reveals Himself after resurrection to women. Considering the context of the culture at the time, this is a strong argument toward the accuracy of the Biblical text. Men writing this scripture or telling the story of resurrection would have a strong tendency to depict men, Jesus’ disciples, as the ones to whom Jesus first revealed Himself if they were just making up this story. As it is, Jesus revealed Himself first to Mary and Mary and the scriptures record it accurately… as they do everything else.

 2And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

What an amazing site… an angel at once so intimidating that the well trained Roman guards shook for fear and yet the women who loved Jesus could be reassured to calmly converse with him. God’s messenger gave the women instructions and to their credit… they followed at once. He showed them the empty tomb as evidence.

  8And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Consider the great joy with which they reacted upon hearing about Jesus. They ran to report it. Jesus met them along the way and they worshipped Him. Once again He had to reassure them not to be afraid and affirmed the instructions from the angel to take word to His disciples.

Each of us should consider… do we act with joy like that? Are we so excited to tell others that our Lord Jesus has risen from the grave that we run? Or do we take it for granted, thinking of it rarely and not letting it move us to share the good news of the gospel with others? Pray that God would help each of us to feel that joy and urgency to share the good news.

  11Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. 12And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ 14“And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” 15And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

Again we see that when confronted with clear evidence of Jesus as Messiah… as the Christ… the chief priests act in the flesh and immediately plot and scheme to cover it up and maintain control through deception. They do not even seek God in prayer for the truth or hold out the possibility that Jesus is the Christ… the Messiah… God Himself in the flesh fulfilling the prophecy of scripture. They are filled with wickedness and led by hardened  hearts.

Even in their wickedness, they could not deny that tomb of Jesus had been opened and that Jesus was no longer there. The evidence was so strong that they could not even claim that it was the wrong tomb or that Jesus was not buried there or that Jesus was still in the tomb. Stronger evidence could not be provided for the fact that the tomb which held Jesus’ body had been opened and Jesus’ body was no longer there.

The best lie they could come up with was that well trained Roman guards were bested by the same disciples of Jesus Christ that ran and hid when they came to arrest Jesus at the garden of Gethsemane. The logic required is impossible to accept. The same disciples who fled when Jesus was alive, are now to be supposed to have confronted Roman guards when they believed Jesus to be dead? Impossible.

We are left then to accept the truth of God’s supernatural intervention by sending an angel to open the tomb and raising Jesus from the dead, as was prophesied by Jesus to His disciples and much earlier by Old Testament prophets of God.

Jesus Christ is risen! He died for our sins and has been raised from the dead. Praise God for His wise plans for redeeming us from our mistakes through His great love for us. May we never take this for granted, but rather may it always be on our hearts with thanksgiving and praise.

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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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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Character of God, Loneliness

You Do Not Have To Face Loneliness By Yourself

We have all experienced loneliness at different times in our lives and in different magnitudes. Loneliness affects people of all ages and all nationalities and all cultures around the world. People seek to solve their loneliness through many desperate pursuits and bad relationships, but there is only one cure for loneliness… and that is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit living in you. God is the only one who will never let you down, never abandon you, never leave you. Even in your darkest hour you can count on Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 31:6  6“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5  5Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” 6so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”

John 14:16-17 16“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

Matthew 28:19-20 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Not only does God give us His assurance that He will not abandon us, but we can be assured that Jesus understands loneliness. God humbled Himself and became man in the person of Jesus Christ for our sake. He experienced temptation but did not sin. He experienced loneliness, but found strength in a strong relationship with God. In fact, Jesus experienced two very dramatic examples of loneliness that serve as bookends to His earthly ministry.

Jesus faced temptation from Satan when He was weak and alone. Jesus found strength in none but the word of God to defeat Satan and overcome temptation.

Matthew 4:1-11

      1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”

      5Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,

6and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’;
and
‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”

7Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”

      8Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” 11Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Of course, the other dramatic example that Jesus experienced was during the final days leading up to the cross, where He died as punishment for our sins. It started in Gethsemane, when He brought His closest disciples to pray with Him at His most difficult moment, but they could not even stay awake.

Matthew 26:36-46

      36Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”

      39And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41“Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

      42He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46“Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

From this point on, Jesus was abandoned by his disciples who fled, including Peter’s denying Jesus three times.  Jesus experienced the torture and abuse leading up to and including death on the cross alone. It was His relationship with God, strong prayer life, and devotion to do the will of God that carried Jesus through that time.  (You can read more in the gospels. In Matthew, read chapter 26-27)

We can know that Jesus understands loneliness. He experienced as much as any of us. He loves us and promises to be with us to the end of the age. He even prayed that God would send a helper in the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us who accept Jesus Christ as Lord!

Truly we have a dear friend and savior in Jesus Christ. When we submit our lives to Him and seek Him daily in the Biblical text and in prayer we will never be alone.

Joshua 1:9  9“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Romans 8:38-39  38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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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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Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Righteousness / Serving God, Thankfulness

God Keeps His Promises

God appears to Jacob in a personal way to reinforce and remind Jacob of God’s promise to and purpose for him.  Jacob has experienced a very challenging and rewarding life since God first made this promise to him in Genesis 28:1-22. Jacob has grown in relationship to God and faithfully obeys God’s instruction him, giving thanks to God along the way.

Genesis 35:9-15

      9Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him.

10God said to him,
“Your name is Jacob;
You shall no longer be called Jacob,
But Israel shall be your name.”
Thus He called him Israel.

11God also said to him,
“I am God Almighty;
Be fruitful and multiply;
A nation and a company of nations shall come from you,
And kings shall come forth from you.

      12“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac,
I will give it to you,
And I will give the land to your descendants after you.”

13Then God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him. 14Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel.

Despite many difficulties and mistakes in raising and leading his household, Jacob has grown more consistent in obeying and being faithful to God. He has experienced much personal grown in his life since first God appeared to him. Like all of us who choose to pursue a lifelong journey to serve and obey God, Jacob does not have it all figured out. He makes mistakes and his family has to deal with real consequences for those mistakes. However, he thankfully pursues God’s direction for his life.

Genesis 35:22-29 shows us how far God has brought Jacob on the journey toward the promises of God. We remember also that these were the multi-generational promises God made to Abraham and Isaac before Jacob. Scripture provides a point of reflection as Isaac dies, to see how far God has already brought them in a generation from Isaac, or two generations from Abraham. Jacob, by himself, has a large and prosperous family and this does not even include the branches of the family that came forth from Ishmael or Esau.

The Sons of Israel

       Now there were twelve sons of Jacob— 23the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, then Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun; 24the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; 25and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid: Dan and Naphtali; 26and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

      27Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned.

      28Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29Isaac breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, an old man of ripe age; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

We can count on the promises of God. Take time to reflect on the promises of God revealed in the Bible or spoken to you personally through your prayer life with God. Can you see where God has been active and come through to deliver on these promises in your life? In difficult times, do you believe and take strength in the promises God has made? You can trust Him completely, even when He does things in a way that you or I would not choose.

I praise God that He does things His way for my wisdom is so limited, but His wisdom is beyond our ability to understand! I trust in His promises revealed through the Bible! They bring me comfort and joy in good times and in bad.  God will never let us down.

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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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Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Blessed, Can God Use Me?, Consequences of Sin, Family, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Prophecy

God Can Use Us Even Though We Make Many Mistakes

Are you living your life without making mistakes?  Do you have it all figured out? If you answered yes, than… quite frankly… you are wrong. None except Jesus Himself live the perfect life.  Even among those of us who wholeheartedly seek after and submit to God, we can only do our best and ask God for His help to live according to His commands. For those of you who answered “no”… the good news is that God can use us even though we make mistakes.

Let us explore two sides of Jacob’s life in Genesis 35:9-22. Jacob has such a personal relationship with God, that God continually appears to him and communicates important things and Jacob receives this instruction and follows it. God tells Jacob once again that he will now be called Israel and again reinforces the promise and prophecy that many nations shall come from him.

However we see also, that even this great moment for Jacob in the presence of God is experienced in the midst of his continuing family struggles for which he seems to be at a loss to be able to solve in order to more effectively lead his family.  We learned in Genesis 34 and earlier in Genesis 35 that Jacob settled and remained in an ungodly land. His daughter was raped, his sons used treachery and deceit to kill many as punishment to the one who mistreated their sister, and as his household packs up to leave, Jacob finds idols and foreign gods among them. They were not pure, not holy (set apart for God’s use), but rather had blended with the pagans around them to some extent.

Jacob Is Named Israel

      9Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him.

10God said to him,
“Your name is Jacob;
You shall no longer be called Jacob,
But Israel shall be your name.”
Thus He called him Israel.

11God also said to him,
“I am God Almighty;
Be fruitful and multiply;
A nation and a company of nations shall come from you,
And kings shall come forth from you.

      12“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac,
I will give it to you,
And I will give the land to your descendants after you.”

13Then God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him. 14Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel.

      16Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe labor. 17When she was in severe labor the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for now you have another son.” 18It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

      22It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.

We see Jacob again hit hard by family trouble in verse 22, when his eldest son has sex with Jacob’s concubine. This was a huge disgrace for all involved. I am sure Reuben thought “no one will know”… but that is rarely the case among people when we sin… and God always knows. Of course, we could also have quite a discussion on why Jacob even had concubines… this is not consistent with God’s plan for marriage. From the beginning, with Adam and Eve, God intended it to be one man and one woman in marriage… no extra wives, no concubines.

Studying earlier points in Jacob’s life, we see that leading his family to honor God in their daily lives and relationships is not a new struggle for Jacob. In fact his wives struggled badly when they married him, competing with one another rather than showing love within his household. Ultimately this jealousy resulted in his failure by sleeping with their maid servants all in pursuit of sons. Go back further and we see where he had to run away from home to get away from an angry brother who wanted to kill him, after Jacob deceived his aging father to receive a blessing which Isaac intended for Esau. It goes even further back… Isaac and Rebekah chose favorites in their family, each openly loving one son more than the other.

Suffice it to say, that Jacob did not have every aspect of his life together and going well. So what is my point? Why do I point this failure of Jacob’s out?

First, we can all take heart and be encouraged that God can use us, can have intimate relationship with us, even when our lives are not entirely in order. We must, however, be submitted to God, as Jacob was. We can not be in open rebellion to God, intentionally disregarding His commands in how we are to live.

Secondly, even when we are walking with God in our lives and hearing from Him, we should take heed to purify ourselves, our family, our household. Consciously choose to submit to God and to follow His ways. Study the Bible and apply what it teaches to your lives. Change your ways to be set apart for God rather than to blend with the ungodly around you. There are consequences to leaving sin in our lives. Consider the mess that Jacob’s family experienced. It was not “God punishing them”, but rather it was natural consequences for not living God’s way. God tells us how to live, but we must choose to do so or live with the consequences.

Do not be complacent just because you have a relationship with God but rather use that relationship as a strong foundation to transform your life and that of your family to reflect God’s values and God’s will in every aspect of your life. Seeking to change our lives to live according to God’s instructions is not a one time adjustment, but rather a difficult and intentional journey that will last the rest of our lives.

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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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