All posts by John (HFJ Director)

Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Drunkenness, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Greed, Homosexual Behavior, Idols / False Gods, Justice / Judgment, Mockers, Righteousness / Serving God, Sin, Stealing / Theft, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The Unrighteous Will Not Inherit The Kingdom of God

All to often we are told by the culture of the world today that God loves and accepts all people regardless of behavior choices… whether they rebel against God or obey Him. The world twists scripture and reality to claim that people are born “with a tendency to sin” in a certain area and thus it is “not their fault”. Somehow, we are to believe, if someone is “predisposed” to a certain sin, then they are not expected to overcome it and turn from it. Instead we are told it is to be accepted out of love. The truth is much more clear and perhaps to some, harsh.

If I am born with poor balance and I fall often… I still get hurt. It is up to me to change my behavior to avoid the consequences of it. In this example of poor balance I should avoid walking along the edge of a roof or canyon where I may fall and die. I am responsible for my behavior.

To make it more silly… if I am born such that I will be very tall, like a basketball player… it is still up to me to make sure I adjust my behavior to avoid getting hurt by walking into the tops of low doorways or ceiling fans. The consequences are the same regardless of whether or not I have been “predisposed” to certain risk.

One area where this is still generally accepted is predisposition to alcohol or drug abuse. We do not encourage those individuals to drink and do drugs anyway… telling them it is not their fault. We encourage them to get help and change their behavior. They must choose to avoid situations that would even be tempting to them. If they drink or do drugs they still face the consequences of their actions.

The same is true of all manner of sin and we must take heed, lest we get in the habit of excusing all of it. Someone is not defined by their sin. They do not need to remain in it and accept it. It must be overcome with God’s help. To accept our sin and remain in it is to live in active rebellion to God and those who do so will not inherit the kingdom of God. Quite simply… when we actively ignore God and live in rebellion to His word it shows that we do not really believe in Him and that is a big warning sign that we are headed for hell when we die, unless we repent and submit to God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

      9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Do not be deceived. Whether or not we are predisposed to a certain sin, the consequences of actively choosing to remain in sin are the same… separation from God and eternity without Him when we die. We do no one a favor by telling them it is ok to disregard what God has told us and just to embrace and accept their sin. We obey God and show love to others by showing them the truth with gentleness and love. We help them… not by accepting them in their sin but by leading them out of it.

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

Faith / Trusting God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Provider

Jehovah Wants Us To Trust In Him

I find it very rewarding to unpack the laws and instructions Jehovah has provided in such a way that I can consider each thoughtfully and prayerfully. Jehovah instructs us throughout His word to observe the Sabbath. It has even more significance than most of us realize. It is beyond just resting every seventh day. Jehovah actually encouraged His people, when farming, to cease from sowing their land in every seventh year. Letting the land rest and lie fallow. This approach is so different from what we would conclude or plan. Our wisdom would tell us to keep working the field. So why does Jehovah instruct His people in this way?

Exodus 23:10-13

The Sabbath and Land

      10“You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield, 11but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

      12“Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves. 13“Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor let them be heard from your mouth.

The only reason the scripture states to let the fields rest is to help the needy or even allow animals to eat. Perhaps Jehovah has something else in mind as well. Perhaps He wants us to trust in His providence and provision rather than to continue to think of doing things only our own way. We are to trust in Him rather than be fully self sufficient. We also see another firm reminder in verse 13 that we should not even mention the names of false gods. Jehovah’s people so often chase after false gods that He constantly reminds us to not even discuss them. He does not want us focusing on how pagans worship their gods, but rather on how He tells us to worship Him and lead our lives.

Pray that Jehovah will help you to understand and obey His instructions for how we are to live. Praise Him for providing such a great record of His guidance and His relationship with His people over time… the Bible! Then make or renew your personal commitment to do things God’s way, even when you may not understand why.

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

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Justice / Judgment, Righteousness / Serving God, Sin

Are God’s Laws Really That Weird?

I am amazed how often I meet people who say they are disciples of Jesus, and then insist that all of the laws and commands that He obeyed and that Jehovah provided to His people are obsolete… no longer meaningful. “Grace allows us to do whatever we want”, they say. “Besides, all those Old Testament laws are weird and no longer apply anyway.”

To begin with, those who are true disciples of Jesus should model their behaviors and actions after those of Jesus. Jesus modeled and taught obedience to God’s laws, not a disregard for them.

Further, many who have already dismissed God’s laws do not even know what they are… have not read them or studied them. Are God’s laws really that weird? or are they actually foundational to our western civilization and to a just and loving society that lives in obedience to God?

Exodus 23:1-9

Sundry Laws

      1“You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. 2“You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice; 3nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute.

      4“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. 5“If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him.

      6“You shall not pervert the justice due to your needy brother in his dispute. 7“Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty.

      8“You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just.

      9“You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Taking just this simple collection of laws as an example…

  • Do not bear false witness
  • Do not follow the crowd and do evil
  • Show respect even to your enemies and help them
  • Do not acquit the guilty nor kill the innocent or righteous
  • Do not take a bribe
  • Do not oppress a stranger

Which of these would we willingly want to discard? None. These are all foundational to a righteous and civilized society that lives according to God’s instruction. It is irrelevant if we are talking about thousands of years ago, today, or thousands of years from now. God’s values and instructions are timeless. Let us not be so quick to discard what He has provided to guide us… instead relying on our own fallible and ever-changing “wisdom” to guide and govern.

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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.

Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Kindness / Gentleness, Love, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God

Follow The Example Of Christ, Our Loving Shepherd

We all have a tendency to stray, like sheep. Often foolishly straying into harm and away from our Shepherd. Jehovah’s plan included coming in the person of Jesus Christ to show us the example we should follow. What a loving Father indeed!

1 Peter 2:21-25

Christ Is Our Example

      21For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Christ was without sin, so what better role model is there we should follow? None. He was reviled and hated, but refused to hate in return. He was threatened and beaten and killed, but did not threaten others. He entrusted Himself to our loving Father, the righteous judge. Jesus paid the penalty of our sins on the cross… the judgment that was due to each of us for our sin. By Jesus’ suffering and death, coupled with our genuine submission to Him as Lord, repenting wrong behavior and attitudes, and asking forgiveness… we are healed and reconciled with the Father.

We stray like sheep, but we have a loving Shepherd who cares for us and calls us to Him. Praise Jehovah for His lovingkindness! Give thanks to Him today. He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him where we could never have done so on our own.

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

Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer

I Delight To Do Your Will, O My God

How many of us truly delight in doing the will of Jehovah? To delight in doing His will goes well beyond just knowing and obeying His will. It reflects a deep and passionate relationship and trust in Him. There are times where I delight in doing His will… but there are still times where I am choosing to do His will because I want to serve Him. I do not always delight in doing His will.

Psalm 40

     1I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

      2He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

      3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD.

      4How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

      5Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

      6Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.

      7Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

      8I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart.”

      9I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You know.

      10I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

      11You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.

      12For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me.

      13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
Make haste, O LORD, to help me.

      14Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.

      15Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

      16Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The LORD be magnified!”

      17Since I am afflicted and needy,
Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Pray with me that Jehovah will help you to understand His will, and want to do His will and even delight in doing His will. I will share this parting thought. The more time I spend with Him in prayer and study and the more I choose willfully to obey His instructions… the more often I truly delight in doing His will. It has a lot to do with continuing to actively develop a relationship with our heavenly Father. It has much less to do with always understanding and agreeing with what He tells us to do.

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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.

Compassionate, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Love, Loving / Kind

Law of God Is Based on Love For God and Others; It Is Not Bondage

Many look for ways to interpret God’s laws as harsh or irrelevant. Let us be careful not to begin with a biased opinion based on what is taught by man about God’s law. Instead, let us read God’s word to understand what He shows us about His law. The law and commands of God are based on loving God and loving others.

Matthew 22:36-40

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

The law of God is not bondage from which we must be set free. May it never be. The law is perfect. It sets us free from sin!

Psalm 19:7

   7The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

Psalm 119:44-45

     44So I will keep Your law continually,
Forever and ever.

      45And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek Your precepts.

Obeying God’s law leads to blessing; rebelling against it to a curse. The law is provided for our benefit, to guide us in the right ways… not as bondage!

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

     26“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; 28and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.

Let us look at an example in Exodus 21. God spoke to His people about slavery. This scripture is often misunderstood. We think of slavery as cruel and forced bondage without hope. The slavery we are familiar with in the United States is different than that from Israel’s past. Without dwelling on that detailed study here… just watch how God’s focus is protecting the rights of those who may be subjected to slavery. God was providing protection and a path to freedom, if desired. God’s law provided amazing consideration for how to treat slaves for their protection.

Exodus 21:1-11

      1“Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them:

      2“If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. 3“If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. 4“If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. 5“But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ 6then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.

      7“If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do. 8“If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his unfairness to her. 9“If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. 10“If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights. 11“If he will not do these three things for her, then she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

God’s law was not telling people to have slaves, but protecting and caring for those individuals who may find themselves in that situation. Providing hope and a path to freedom and care for their families. God’s law showed the Israelites how to love one another in that circumstance.

Let us prayerfully reflect on the love of God and love of others that is the solid foundation of all of God’s laws and commands. Let us not be quick to discard His law, but rather seek to understand it in proper context.

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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.

Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing

How Do I Find Happiness?

Most of us would prefer to be happy than sad. Why is it so common then, that people are more often sad than happy? When we stray from the path our heavenly Father prepared for us we lose perspective and drift… seeking satisfaction and happiness in all the wrong places. The writer of Ecclesiastes spend a tremendous amount of time and effort seeking purpose and subsequently happiness in his life. In the end our only lasting accomplishments are what we invite Jehovah to do through us. Everything else will fade in time.

Ecclesiastes 3:12-14

   12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; 13moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God. 14I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

It is good to rejoice. God wants us to have joy in life. He wants us to have abundant life. However, we must be careful not to lose sight of the context. It is not just about rejoicing and having a fun, party life. It is rejoicing and doing good. Let us remember how we define “good”, lest we be to quick to let the world define it for us.

Mark 10:17-19

  17As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 18And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19“You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’”

Jesus defined “good” to be acting according to God’s ways. So in this we have more clarity in terms of rejoicing and doing good in one’s lifetime. Verse 13 is very precise as well.

13moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.

All of us who eat and drink (as a result of our labor) should be able to see the blessings of God in our labor. He is providing for us through our labor! Verse 14 reminds us that we need not add to or take away from what God has done. What He does is eternal. He is worthy of fear and reverence.

14I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

Let us each live according to God’s instruction and rejoice in how He provides for us and loves us. Let us obey Him and find joy in doing so! Show our Father in heaven proper respect, reverence, and yes… fear.

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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.

Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law

There Are Still 10 Commandments… They Did Not Expire

Mainstream Christianity still teaches the ten commandments, but often teaches them as if they no longer are relevant because of the grace of Christ. Many teach “we don’t have to obey the commandments, or at least not all of them, because we are under grace”. The most problematic part of this logic is that to be under grace we must accept Jesus as Lord of our lives. How does one claim to submit to and disciple after Christ and then disregard following all of God’s commands. Jesus was in fact the Word made flesh to dwell among us. He lived obedience to God’s word and taught the same. He rebuked those who changed God’s instructions to suit themselves.

John 1:14

   14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Paul puts it quite plainly and straightforward in Romans 6.

Romans 6:1-2

    1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

People have been trained to focus only on “getting to heaven”. They count heavily on grace and indeed grace is the key. However, one who wholeheartedly seeks after Christ is not just concerned with “getting to heaven” but also with obeying the Lord’s commands and instructions. This is how we show love (and respect) to Jehovah. If we truly believe Jesus is the Messiah, why would we not follow all that He taught, which was completely consistent with all of the Old Testament laws and commands from Jehovah?  Who are we to pick and choose which commands we will follow and which we do not?

Let us read what Jehovah Himself said about the commandments. Read carefully and we will review some key words further below in the article.

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments

      1Then God spoke all these words, saying,

      2“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

      3“You shall have no other gods before Me.

      4“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

      7“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

      8“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

      12“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

      13“You shall not murder.

      14“You shall not commit adultery.

      15“You shall not steal.

      16“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

      17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

      18All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.” 20Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.” 21So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

      22Then the LORD said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. 23‘You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. 24‘You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. 25‘If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. 26‘And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it.’

Reflect on the words below from Jehovah and prayerfully consider them when you consider whether or not to follow His commands.

3“You shall have no other gods before Me.

 5“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Note how loving God is naturally paired with keeping His commandments. Note that He brings iniquity or lovingkindness depending on our choices to love or hate Him. Do not think of idols only as false religion. Consider as example, any think or activity you place before God in your heart. Measure not by your intentions but by your observable actions of how you spend your time, talent and treasure. One clear example is to observe how much time some invest in watching and following sports compared to how little they invest in relationship with God. It can also be love of money or power or other types of pursuits besides sports.

7“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

Yes. It matters. It still matters. It is wrong and upsetting to God to use the name we use to refer to His holy presence as an offhanded expression or even curse word we say in anger. Jehovah said He will not leave that person unpunished. He sounds serious to me. He has not changed His opinion. Show Him the respect He is due.

8“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

Very clear. Very specific. It still applies. Only man has decided to ignore it because of his desires. On a more detailed point, Sabbath as observed by Jesus was actually Friday night to Saturday night by the way we currently observe our calendar. Man moved it to Sunday and changed the way in which the calendar is observed so that the “24 hour period we call a day” no longer starts with sunset.

The others are fairly straight forward and still generally accepted, though often not practiced. The whole concept we see where people spend way more than they can afford just for status or to “keep up with the Jones'” is actually basic culture of coveting what others have instead of finding joy and contentment with what God has provided us. There is a powerful transformation that we can each experience personally if we commit to fully obey the word of God in our lives. I have found it to be difficult at times but completely rewarding in my life to change directions from the false doctrine that is often taught in many churches and pursue truly understanding and living according to God’s instructions.

Come and be a true disciple of Christ. Live in obedience to the full revelation of God’s word from front to back… Old Testament through New Testament.

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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.

Loving / Kind

I Learned A Lot From A Bible Study I Could Not Finish

1 Comment

There are many great Bible studies that we can learn from and use to grow closer to Jehovah. We can study on our own and supplement with other resources from sources we validate as genuine followers of Christ. Typically we expect to finish a Bible study when we begin it. After conducting quite a few, I found one I could not finish. I was searching for all the places where the Bible references love so that I would study and compare and reflect on God’s love for us, the love He calls us to have for one another and for Him.  After quite some time I realized there seemed to be limitless references to love throughout scripture. I actually started to feel disappointed that it would be so hard to finish.

It was then that God showed me I was missing the point. As I contemplated if and how I would finish studying all application of “love” in scripture, the Spirit spoke to me. That was the point. God’s love is so boundless that even just to study it and try to understand it reveals to us how great His love is for us. I continue to study God’s love, but now I do so in more manageable increments… I still have not run out of scripture to study about God’s love. When I get through it all, I can study it again and learn even more. Our heavenly Father is truly wonderful!

1 John 3:1

1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.

1 John 4:7-13

7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

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

All Powerful / King of All, Father / Yahweh, Hearing from God, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Prayer, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Those Who Consecrate Themselves To His Purposes Will Draw Near To Him

Those who come closest to Jehovah are those consecrated to Him… that is to say dedicated and set aside for His use for His purposes. Jehovah reveals to us this truth through scripture as we see examples of those who dedicate themselves fully toward His purposes are often those whom He calls to serve as prophets or missionaries or leaders for His people. In Exodus, Jehovah calls forth Moses and Aaron, who are called to His purpose. He also calls for the priests to consecrate themselves, dedicating themselves to His purposes. The rest of the people remain at a greater distance from Him.

Exodus 19:18-25

The LORD Visits Sinai

      18Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. 19When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. 20The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. 22“Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, or else the LORD will break out against them.” 23Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds about the mountain and consecrate it.’” 24Then the LORD said to him, “Go down and come up again, you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, or He will break forth upon them.” 25So Moses went down to the people and told them.

Whether we discuss priests and prophets in scripture or those who follow Jehovah today, the principle is the same. Those of us who separate ourselves from the world and dedicate ourselves genuinely and wholeheartedly to our Creator will be allowed to see and experience more of Him. Those who refuse to die to their own desires and the ways of the world but claim to follow Him will remain at a distance from Him.

Prayerfully and humbly pray to Jehovah that He would help you to dedicate yourself to His purposes, surrendering your desires and preferences and living out His instead.

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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.