Category Archives: All Knowing

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Introduction to Books of Bible, Peace / Rest, Persecution / Glorifying God

Introduction to the Book of Esther

We are going to start a walk through the book of Esther. As a way to get started, I wanted to share just a touch of backstory, or context. I am copying from my Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible (NASB), whose Executive Editor is Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D. This is an excellent resource and I highly recommend it.

The name of this book comes from its main character, Esther, a young Jewish girl who later became Queen of the Persian Empire. Through the providence of God, she was in position (Esth. 4:14) to prevent the annihilation of her entire nation. The Feast of Purim commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people on that occasion. There is no organic connection between the Book of Esther and the rest of the Bible, but scholars believe that this book is our only glimpse of Jewish life under the Persians during the period between the first and second returns of Jerusalem. Although there is no mention in the Book of Esther of Palestine, Jerusalem, the temple, or the Law of Moses, the events took place within the general timeframe of officially-approved migrations of Jewish exiles back to their homeland. Esther lived during the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I)  in 486-465 B.C. Early in his rule, his armies fought the Greeks for the first time. His empire extended from India to Ethiopia and included twenty satrapies, which were divided into many provinces. Jerusalem was only a tiny outpost in his kingdom. Though the name of God never appears in Esther, God’s power is implied everywhere in the book. The Book of Esther teaches that God’s providence is active in every facet of human life. We cannot escape Him. His purposes, though sometimes hidden, are far-reaching. We can be confident of God’s care and protection. 

As we reflect on the historical context of Esther, we see an example of God’s power and protection permeating throughout the historical record. God puts Esther and even Mordecai in position where they will need to be in order to protect God’s people. God is fully aware of what will confront His people. He is not surprised. He does not need to come up with a “plan B” when this situation develops. We can rest assured that God is in aware of all situations and is able to prepare a way through adversity consistent with His broader plans. This assurance should give us peace in knowing that we can trust in God even during very challenging times when we may not understand how He is working. We should focus on Him and on what role he may want us to play in addressing whatever situations we encounter. Let us not overlook that Esther had to step out in great faith, after fasting and prayer, to protect her people at significant personal risk. She had not experienced an obvious “burning bush” encounter where God told her clearly what she must do.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help Your people to find peace in knowing You are not surprised by any situation. Help us to trust in You even when we do not understand or see how You are moving in a situation. Help us to have clarity and conviction for when and how You want us to act to bring about Your will.  Thank You for Your written word which documents Your relationship with Your people, from which we can learn and be encouraged! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways

Why Does God Answer Some Prayers and Do Some Miracles And Not Others?

Many people are confused about when and why God does miracles or answers prayers. It is difficult to understand why He answers one prayer and seems to not answer another.  He heals one person and not another. Why does he allow some to be martyred for their faith, but save others?

There are many reasons why God may choose not to answer our prayers the way we want Him to. Sometimes He answers “yes”, sometimes “no”, sometimes “not yet” or “not the way you think is best but rather the way I know is best”. To study more about prayer, please consider our teachings about prayer, Learning To Pray Effectively, and Is God Ignoring My Prayers? Additionally, we encourage you to review other devotions listed in the “Prayer” category. (Once you click the link “Prayer“, just scroll down through the devotions to review them.)

It is good to seek to understand why God may not be answering our prayers and to test ourselves and our motives as to whether we are submitted to His will in righteous prayer and trusting Him or demanding our own outcome.

It is very important to trust God and submit to His will. His ways are so far above ours that we cannot hope to fully understand our all-powerful, eternal, all knowing God.

[Isaiah 55:8-9]    8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. 9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

It is really that simple. Even a dog learns to trust a good master with no hope of ever understanding all of the master’s plans. So too a small child who has good parents learns to trust them. We are to do the same with God.

Few have had as much motivation as Job to feel that God has abandoned him and seek to understand why He allows certain things in this world. Job was a righteous man, yet God allowed Satan to torment Him through personal loss of family and wealth and through personal illness. Job’s “friends” and wife, which he is allowed to keep, seem to be more a curse than a blessing. For the full series of events refer to the book of Job.

[Job 1:1]   1There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.

Job was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. I strive to achieve such a righteous description for it is the description of one who submits to God and serves Him wholeheartedly. Yet God allowed Job to suffer incredibly. After enduring much suffering, Job struggled to understand why these things were happening to him.

God’s response takes up four chapters (Job 38-42) which basically can be summarized to say “Who are you to question God?”

Along the way, Job is humbled again.

 [Job 40:3-4]   3Then Job answered the LORD and said, 4“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth.

[Job 42:1-3]  1Then Job answered the LORD and said, 2“I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. 3‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

We can see with Job that it is not because of sin that God allowed bad things to happen to him. Yahweh had His own reasons. While sin is a reason for Yahweh not to hear our prayers, sometimes He just has other plans and sin has nothing to do with it. If Job does not convince you of that, then consider Yeshua asking the Father to be spared the pain and suffering of the cross.

Matthew 26:39

      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.”

We know the Father had good reason for Yeshua to experience that suffering, so that we could be forgiven. Yeshua was perfect and righteous… and the answer to His prayer was “no”. He set a perfect example in remaining fully submitted to the Father.

To be sure, it is fine to ask God to show you why He does or does not do some particular miracle or answer a prayer a certain way or why He allows certain events. We should ask as a child asks a father… humbly, respectfully and without challenging authority or complaining. He may answer or He may not. We are to trust and love Him either way, submitting to His will rather than insisting on our own.

I would invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to fully trust in You, even when I do not understand. Help me to understand if there is sin in my life from which I need to repent to draw nearer to You. Help me to endure hardship with hope and even joy based on my relationship with You. Father, thank You that You have chosen me to know You. Help me know You more and more closely. Amen. —-

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

All Knowing, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Lying / Deceiving, Money / Finances / Wealth, Pride, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Worldliness

Do Not Seek To Appear Holy, But Rather To Become Holy

Do you ever feel inadequate about your actions, motivations, or attitudes when you compare yourself to God’s standard? Perhaps you even feel inadequate comparing yourself to others? You may find yourself trying very hard to rationalize, to convince yourself, that you are not driven by your own desires but instead are motivated by a desire to honor God? Some will even take to lying to others… to themselves… even to God about these things to justify their wrong behavior or to try to impress others.

Take great care when assessing your actions and motivations. Do not lie and deceive. Instead deal honestly with others, yourself, and God. If your actions, motivations, or attitudes are wrong… admit that, work to change it, and pray God would help you to become more like Yeshua.

For those who think this is a minor issue to God, let’s explore the fate of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. You can not fool God and He takes it very seriously when you lie to Him.

Acts 5:1-11

      1But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4“While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. 6The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

      7Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” 9Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” 10And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.

Ananias and Sapphira owned the land. When they chose to sell it, they owned the entire amount of money. It was theirs. They were under no obligation to sell the property or to share any of the profit.  They could have just said they sold it for the actual sum, and were choosing to donate a portion. That would have been fine. Instead, they lied to and tried to deceive God and His followers. For what purpose? Maybe they suffered from pride as they watched others giving generously to support the community of believers. Perhaps it was as simple as trying to impress others with their donation to appear more holy. Scripture does not say why, so we are left to wonder.

God does call us to be genuinely holy, set apart for God’s use. He does not want us to lie about it and pretend. He wants us to wholeheartedly seek after the things of God. One can not please and honor God by donating money, when one is breaking God’s law (lying) while doing it.

Do not seek to appear holy, but rather seek to become holy. It begins not by donating money to impress others, but by following the commands of God and applying His instruction in our lives. As we become more like Jesus, we will want to give to help others and will do so joyfully and honestly.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please forgive me for the times when I have not been completely honest with You or with others. I know it is foolish, as You already know everything. Please help me to seek holiness with integrity. Let me not try to impress others but rather submit to You and seek to please You. Help me to give generously when You call for it and help me to be completely honest when I give less or choose not to give. Amen. 

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Anger (unrighteous anger), Arrogance, Bitterness / Resentment, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Fear / Reverence for God, Obeying God, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Unteachable / Foolish, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Seek the LORD Before Partnering With the Unrighteous

There are some historical records in the Bible that rival any movie plot line today for intrigue, excitement, and plot twists. 2 Chronicles 18 is one of them. For context we must understand that Jehoshaphat is righteous in obeying the LORD and Ahab is not.

There are many angles we could explore in this action packed chapter that are timeless principles to live by. One of them I want to encourage you to focus on is the decision of Jehoshaphat, a righteous king of Judah, to be persuaded to come and fight alongside Ahab, a wicked king of Israel. Was that a wise decision? What did God say about the battle through His prophets? Did Jehoshaphat listen?

2 Chronicles 18

Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

      1Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab. 2Some years later he went down to visit Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. 3Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And he said to him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, and we will be with you in the battle.”

      4Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” 5Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” 7The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”

Ahab’s False Prophets Assure Victory

      8Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah, Imla’s son.” 9Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’” 11All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.”

Micaiah Brings Word from God

      12Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably.” 13But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak.”

      14When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” He said, “Go up and succeed, for they will be given into your hand.” 15Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”

16So he said,
“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
Like sheep which have no shepherd;
And the LORD said,
‘These have no master.
Let each of them return to his house in peace.’”

17Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

      18Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. 19“The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. 20“Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the LORD said to him, ‘How?’ 21“He said, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and prevail also. Go and do so.’ 22“Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.”

      23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?” 24Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself.” 25Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son; 26and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.”’” 27Micaiah said, “If you indeed return safely, the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people.”

Ahab’s Defeat and Death

      28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. 29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. 30Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.” 31So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel,” and they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God diverted them from him. 32When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33A certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the fight, for I am severely wounded.” 34The battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died.

The fact is that Jehoshaphat allied himself with Ahab by marriage. That may seem like a good idea to keep the peace between Israel and Judah, but it influenced Jehoshaphat to consider partnering with Ahab when there was not a good reason for him to do so. We should take great care when partnering with those who are not righteous for some earthly task or mission, especially if it is a mission of their choosing and not directed by God.

I do want to give Jehoshaphat some credit. He rightly saw through the false prophets and asked for a prophet of the LORD as a reliable indicator of what they should do. We, too, should ask the LORD to guide us in our major decisions in life and seek His answer. What baffles me though, is that once the prophet of the LORD spoke and indicated defeat, Jehoshaphat still went to battle with Ahab. That was a mistake. It almost cost him his life. The LORD  protected Jehoshaphat because he was righteous before the LORD and cried out for help. That is the LORD’s mercy in action, baling him out of a bad decision.

I suppose one last perspective I will highlight is a reflection on Ahab. He called the prophet Micaiah, a prophet of the LORD. He missed the point that he speaks what the LORD tells him and got angry at the messenger blaming him for prophesying “bad news”. If he would have humbled himself a bit, perhaps he would have remembered the point of the prophet is not to decide victory or defeat, but to tell you what the LORD says. The fact that tried to use deception and disguise to hedge himself against the prophecy and his death is once again telling. He is missing the point that you can’t hide from the LORD. If the LORD says you will die if you attack, you can’t hide in costume and avoid it.

If I were to sum up to a very high level, I would say we  all need to take caution, seek the LORD, and listen to Him before partnering with the unrighteous to accomplish something we think will work in our own eyes. Instead, remain partnered with God Himself and listen to His guidance.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me (and all Your people) to have wisdom in regards to with whom we partner and collaborate. Help lead and guide us. Thank You for Your protection, grace and mercy when we stumble and make mistakes. Thank You for Your blessing as we walk with You. Help us rely on You and You alone rather than the unrighteous men steeped in the ways of the world. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Blessed, Creation, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Peace / Rest

Sabbath Observed Even During Busy Times

If there is any doubt that Yahweh is serious about Sabbath, let us take note how even the most foundational and important moments in all of time are paused for rest on the Sabbath. Most of us are very familiar with the creation story, in which Yahweh rested on the 7th day… Sabbath.

Genesis 2:1-3

      1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. 2By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Think about that for awhile. Even when creating everything, the Creator of the universe, and all that is in it, took time out to rest… not because He was tired, but to set an example to His people for all time that Sabbath and Sabbath rest is important. He did not rest on the first day of the week. He rested on the seventh day of the week. He has instructed us to do likewise.

Now let us jump forward in time several thousand years. A dramatic and defining moment for creation… the death and resurrection of Yeshua. All of history documented in the Old Testament points forward to it. All of history afterwards looks back on it for salvation and forgiveness. It is central in our ability to relate to our holy Father and come into His presence, in this life and after.

Yeshua died more quickly than most who perished from crucifixion. Yahweh timed it so that the scriptures would be fulfilled and the Romans would not break His legs to hasten His death. So too, the timing is such that Yeshua’s death precedes a Sabbath and His followers were able to provide a burial before the sun set to mark the beginning of Sabbath.

Then, everything in the chain of events takes a break for the duration of the Sabbath. Not until after Sabbath is over, does Yeshua rise from the now empty tomb and reveal Himself to His followers.

Mark 15:42-47

Jesus Is Buried

      42When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. 45And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.

Let’s give credit to Joseph. He demonstrated courage to honor Yeshua by providing a burial rather than leaving Him to hang on the cross longer.

We should also take time to pray and think about the importance of Sabbath to our Father. In two of the most incredible moments in all history, time is taken to rest and honor the Sabbath. What could we possibly be doing in our weekly activities that would be more important than these events? If we choose to follow Yeshua, why would we choose not to obey the Father in regards to obeying the Sabbath?

On a personal note, since we started observing Sabbath as a day of rest, my family has found it very rewarding. It is so much beyond just obeying the Father, which is by itself very important. But in pursuing obedience I have found that I now have more time set aside for family and rest. It helps me to be a better husband and father throughout the week. What can I say? Yahweh has some great ideas! He knows how we are built and knows what is best for us to find peace and joy in this life. After all, He provides Sabbath for man, not man for Sabbath.

Mark 2:27

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

Join me in putting aside the Sabbath as a day of rest. It feels odd at first and you will likely find many excuses to stray. But if you stick with it long enough to form a new habit, it actually just fits perfectly even in busy times. Sometimes that is when we need it the most.

A small bonus assignment, for those who really want to follow after Christ in our Creator’s ways…  they rested on the 7th day of the week, not the first. If we wish to be consistent with the Creator’s calendar, we should observe Sabbath from Friday night at sundown to Saturday night at sundown. This is different from the commonly accepted Sunday timing in our society today. We should ask ourselves, can we find any clear scripture in the Bible that says to change from 7th day to 1st day of the week? (hint: The answer is “no”.) Does scripture give indication that the disciples continued to observe Sabbath on the 7th day after the death of Christ? (hint: The answer is “yes”.)

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have a curious and open mind, hungry to seek the truth of Your word even as study of Your word reveals truth to me that is different than what most around me believe. Help me to have courage to change where I should to follow Your ways instead of the ways accepted by men, including many churches. I follow You and Your word is the light unto my feet. I do not follow the ways of men.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Compassionate, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Prophecy, Thankfulness

Jesus Was A Willing Sacrifice

As I read through certain passages in scripture, I am boldly and plainly reminded that Yeshua knew what was to happen and willingly submitted to the Father in sacrificing Himself to pay for our sins. A good way to internalize this a bit more personally is to say to yourself, “Jesus died for MY sins.”

Don’t rush past this thought, dwell on it. Jesus knew what was going to happen before it happened. He was not surprised or trapped or “caught”. He already knew exactly what was to happen. He willingly took the place of the Passover lamb, sacrificed for MY sins… and yours.

Mark 14:12-21

The Last Passover

      12On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 13And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; 14and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15“And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” 16The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

      17When it was evening He came with the twelve. 18As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me.” 19They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?” 20And He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. 21“For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

Knowing that Jesus willingly suffered and died on MY behalf, and yours… should I not come before Him humbly and thankfully to accept this offer of forgiveness by grace through faith? We each must decide. If someone offered you a new car, would you be thankful or would you reject them and keep doing your own thing? So too we must each decide if we will come before Jesus humbly and ask forgiveness for our sins, turning from them and turning our actions and behaviors and attitudes to the ways of Jehovah, that we see modeled in the life of Jesus. Will we choose to accept the gift of salvation, of forgiveness, from the punishment and judgment we have justly earned?

Take care, however, as you can not simply call on the name of Jesus to save you and then continue to go about ignoring or rejecting everything He taught and lived as example. You must truly accept Him as Lord, which will be reflected in how your life changes to reflect His ways instead of your own.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Yeshua. Thank You for grace and forgiveness. Please forgive my sin and help me to repent and live wholeheartedly for You, according to Your ways snd not the ways of man or the flesh. You are worthy of praise! Amen.

 Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

—-

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus (hearing from God), Justice / Judgment, Persecution / Glorifying God, Prophecy, Prophecy, Study the Word, Teachable, Tribulation, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

See to It That No One Misleads You

The disciples, like most of us, can easily be drawn to marvel at beautiful creations… especially if they are perceived to have good purpose. It troubled them that Yeshua would indicate the temple being destroyed. Yeshua, on the other hand, was more grieved when He saw lost souls, who had rejected Jehovah rather than buildings.

Yeshua warns His disciples of what is to come. I believe He speaks of what has already come to pass, when the Romans occupied Jerusalem and destroyed the temple to the very foundation in 70 AD. It reconnects with the prophecy in Daniel 9:27. As we continue reading in Mark 13 beyond verse 23 (subject for another post) we see that Yeshua is also foreshadowing His return. Thus Yeshua has combined information about the Romans occupation of Jerusalem in the near future for the disciples and His return in the farther out future, which is still yet to come.

He did this without specifically answering the original question of timing, which was not for the disciples to know. We can also learn from this scripture how we should respond in times of darkness and apply it in our lives today.

Mark 13:1-23

Things to Come

      1As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”

      3As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” 5And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6“Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. 8“For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

      9“But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10“The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11“When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13“You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

      14“But when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 15“The one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; 16and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. 17“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18“But pray that it may not happen in the winter. 19“For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. 20“Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. 21“And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; 22for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23“But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.

There is so much information worth studying and praying for wisdom to fully understand, I can’t possibly hope to cover it all in a post. I encourage each of you to prayerfully pursue further study.

Yeshua correctly prophecies about the destruction of the temple, and it seems to tie back to prophecy in Daniel 9:27 as well. God is God. He is aware of what has been, what is, and what will be.

Yeshua warns His disciples to avoid following pretenders, or false prophets, even those who do signs and wonders. We must study the word to recognize and judge good and faithful teachers from false prophets. There are false prophets and we are called to judge who they are! We must reject false doctrine that presumes anyone who says ‘I follow Jesus’ is to be believed or that a teacher who claims to teach the word must not be challenged. Let us judge based on scripture and without hypocrisy.

Do not be surprised that there will be wars and strife. Prepare for it.

Expect to be hated by the world. Expect to be persecuted. It will be hard to be a genuine follower of Christ.

Another common doctrine that many Christians believe is that they will be removed by God before the tribulation. There is no evidence of that in this scripture to be sure. In fact, one might conclude the opposite… that Christians will endure the tribulation. More study is merited on this subject.

20“Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

So after all this dramatic warning to His disciples, what does Yeshua conclude with?

23“But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance

We are to seek to understand the content of Yeshua’s message and use it to prepare ourselves and others. We are not to ponder endlessly about “when” it will happen. The disciples asked that question and Yeshua avoided answering it, instead giving the information He wanted them to focus on.

Challenge yourself to find another significant aspect of Yeshua’s message to His disciples that I did not highlight in this post. Re-read the scripture here, or click to go to read the full chapter at BibleHub.com by following the green hyperlinks above. You can even read some of the commentaries to help you get started in your study. Of course, web search is always an option as well. The point is… develop the discipline to study the Bible more… so that you can “take heed” as Yeshua calls us to do.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to heed Your word in the Bible. Help me to remain faithful to You even under harsh persecution and death. Please give me the words to say when pressed so that the Holy Spirit would speak through me to point people to You. Let me take care not to follow people simply because they do signs and wonders, as many false prophets will try to lead the elect astray in this manner. Let me not rely solely on what I feel and experience, but help me test everything with discernment against Your word. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Heaven and Hell, Lying / Deceiving, Money / Finances / Wealth, Wickedness / Evil, Wise, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Give to Caesar Things That Are Caesar’s; and to God Things That Are God’s

The Pharisees were not pleased with the preceding parables about the vineyard owner and the wedding feast in which Jesus revealed clearly that they face God’s righteous judgment for rejecting God’s commands and mistreating His messengers, the prophets and Jesus, Himself. Rather than consider if they were wrong, which they were not open to accepting, they went and plotted with another group against Jesus… a group which they did not even agree with… the Herodians. With malice and forethought they plotted to trap Jesus in Matthew 22:15-22.

      15Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said. 16And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. 17“Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?” 18But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? 19“Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a denarius. 20And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” 22And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away.

They were hoping for one of two outcomes:

  • Jesus says to pay the tax to Caesar and the people turn against Jesus because they saw Caesar as an occupying force rather than a civil government.
  • or Jesus says not to pay the tax and they notify the governor that Jesus is speaking against Rome in hopes He will be dealt with harshly by the Romans.

They attempted flattery and deception, but to no success. God will not be fooled by men. Jesus sees right through their attempted trap and calls them out on it. Then he answers the question in a way they can not even use to trap Him.

The answer still applies today. Much of what Rome was doing was evil in the sight of the Lord, but Jesus pointed out that the money in question comes from Rome and thus can be used to pay lawful taxes to Rome as the civil governing authority. This is not to say that we have to like it… and certainly does not discourage us from getting involved in our local and national governments where we have a voice and trying to reduce taxes that way. Governments are generally wasteful and spend money inefficiently and without honoring God. Spending “other people’s money” is not a natural driver to be good with spending. Spending your own money… that is a strong driver to be good with money.

Beyond the taxes, Jesus made another point… give to God, what is God’s. We know from other scripture that Jesus instructs us to put Him first, to put not even father or mother ahead of Him.

[Matthew 10:37-39] 37“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39“He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

Thus we can clearly understand that we can submit to civil government so long as we are not required to compromise our service to God… our honoring of His commands.  God must come first. We should actively engage in our local, state, and national government where we have the opportunity to help protect our individual rights as Christians, which are often under attack by powerful central governments that desire to be the ultimate authority instead of God.

Most of us pay our taxes lawfully for fear of the government. Many do not give to God what is God’s. They do not fear Him as they should. Thinking of God only as love, many expect that they can live in active disobedience to Him and His commands without consequence. They are wrong.

[Proverbs 9:10]   10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

[Matthew 10:28]  28“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

When we accept Jesus as Lord, we are called to repent from our sins, obey His commands and submit to His will. To do so, our lives should reflect significant change. Our attitude, passion, time, talents, and money should be used to serve and honor God.

Give to God what is God’s.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, You and You alone are God. There are none like You. Though we may fool others or fool ourselves in the way we should go, we will never fool or trick You. You are wise and not to be tripped up by the plans and deceit of men. Help us to have wisdom to know the way we should walk. Lead us to give to government what is theirs and give to You what is Yours. Let us have wisdom and courage, however, not to compromise Your instructions to comply with government. You come first. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Faithful, Loving / Kind, Miracles, Protector / Deliverer, Provider

Trust in the LORD to Provide, Not in Man or Government

We often find ourselves having an easier time to trust in man, or in government, to provide for us than in Yahweh. Ask our Father to help you in your faith and reliance in Him. Seek Him earnestly. Do not put trust in man.

2 Kings 4:1-7

The Widow’s Oil

      1Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. 4“And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.” 5So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured. 6When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not one vessel more.” And the oil stopped. 7Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”

To expound a bit around not trusting in man, but instead relying on Yahweh, consider Psalm 146. Who is man compared to God?

Psalm 146

The LORD an Abundant Helper.

1Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!

      2I will praise the LORD while I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

      3Do not trust in princes,
In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.

      4His spirit departs, he returns to the earth;
In that very day his thoughts perish.

      5How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the LORD his God,

      6Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and all that is in them;
Who keeps faith forever;

      7Who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free.

      8The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
The LORD raises up those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous;

      9The LORD protects the strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He thwarts the way of the wicked.

      10The LORD will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Grace / Forgiveness, Healer, Jesus (hearing from God), Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Prophecy, Prophecy, Through Prophets, Truth

Yeshua Identified Himself as Son of Man, Messiah

Some claim that Yeshua never claimed to be God, that He was only a prophet or teacher. This is simply and importantly not true. Here is one example where clearly He spoke in a way that communicated He was God. In Matthew 9, Yeshua is recorded as clearly claiming He could forgive sins, which the Jewish people associated with authority that God alone possessed. Further, Yeshua refers to Himself in the same passage as Son of Man, which refers back to Daniel 7 where we find a Messianic prophecy. Yeshua is clearing indicating that He is the Messiah anticipated in Daniel’s prophecy. This is confirmed by the response of those who did not believe He was God as they conclude He is blaspheming. They clearly understood what He was claiming.

Matthew 9:1-8

A Paralytic Healed

      1Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city.

      2And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” 4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5“Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? 6“But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” 7And he got up and went home. 8But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Daniel 7:13-14

13“I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.

      14“And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.

A few additional thoughts not to miss…

Yeshua points back to and validates the continued importance of the Torah and the writings of the prophets. They are not obsolete and have not lost any meaning with His coming in the flesh.

Yeshua validates fulfillment of the prophecy given Daniel and recorded in Daniel 7. We should be greatly encouraged about the authority of scripture when we see how prophecies made hundreds of years earlier are shown to come to pass. There are many such examples in scripture. We can also be encouraged that Yahweh is not surprised. He does not need a “plan B”. He knows all that will happen as if it has already happened.

Lastly, let us not overlook a miraculous healing Yeshua did to physically heal the man. I find it interesting when such a significant aspect of the scripture could almost be overlooked. There is a lot packed into this scripture!

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.