Category Archives: Guide

Comforter, Courage / Fear, Devotions by John, Guide, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God

Storms Will Come. How Shall We React?

Storms will come in our lives, both literal and metaphorical. We need not guess about this nor doubt it. Serving Yeshua does not exempt us from this fact. Yeshua Himself warned us. One such scripture is in Matthew 7, where Yeshua speaks of storms coming to those who heard His words and acted on them.

Matthew 7:24-27

The Two Foundations

      24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

There have certainly been a lot of storms across our nation recently. There has been a lot of divisiveness, especially driven by politicians seeking power rather than truth. There has been the issue of sickness amplified by government intrusion into personal liberties. Many are losing their jobs and concerned for their health. There are consistently events like hurricanes or wild fires that physically threaten many. Many are persecuted in varying levels across the globe for their faith in Yeshua. What are we to do?

Matthew 14 gives us a clear picture. We are to call out to Yeshua, listen for His instruction, trust in Him even when there is a storm around us. We are to draw closer to Him, even if it feels risky, like getting out of the boat. Perhaps most important, we are to focus on Yeshua rather than the storm around us.

Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus Walks on the Water

      22Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

      28Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”

I encourage each of you to prayerfully reflect on how you are reacting to the storms around you. I found that I was focusing too much on the wind and waves, the stresses and worries around me. I was not focused enough on Yeshua and trusting Him. Yes I was seeking Him, but like Peter I kept getting distracted by the storm. I was not experiencing the joy and peace that I can have in Christ.

One last encouraging thought, always remember that Yeshua is more powerful than the storms, no matter what storms you face.

Matthew 8:23-27

     23When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to seek you always, especially in a storm. Help me to keep my focus on You and Your power rather than being distracted by the wind and waves of the storms around me. 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.

Compassionate, Guide, Loving / Kind

Follow God, Serve Others

The longer I follow after Yeshua, and the more I seek Him, the more deeply I am moved emotionally as I read certain passages in scripture rather than just reading them academically.  Jesus sat and ate with His disciples during the Passover associated with what we now refer to as “The Lord’s Supper” or “The Last Supper”. He knew His body would be broken and His blood spilled… and very soon. He wanted, not to be alone to seek pleasure in these final moments, but rather to help prepare His closest friends for what was to come next. He sang a hymn with them! Never a complaint or gripe about what was coming.

He cared enough to warn them ahead of time even of what their reactions would be… to deny Him. He was not chastising them. He was preparing them. He did not say to them “Do not deny me”, but rather only that they would deny Him.

What a true picture of strength and greatness our Lord remains! To the end, willingly pursuing the Father’s plans and seeking to help others to prepare to endure what was coming. He was not focused only on Himself and the impact to Him.

Mark 14:22-31

The Lord’s Supper

      22While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” 23And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25“Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

      26After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

      27And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ 28“But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 29But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.” 30And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.” 31But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also.

Let us seek to follow Yeshua’s example. Let us look to the Father for guidance and reassurance and look for how we can serve and help others even when we are facing troubling times. Let us remember that Yeshua died for each of us. But He has risen again! He is Lord!

Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Love, Loving / Kind, Seeking God, Study the Word

You Are Not Far From The Kingdom Of God

How can we sum up the whole of the law and the prophets concisely? How can we pull together a high level mission statement we can all get our minds around that is the foundation for all of God’s instruction?

Leave it to Jesus to bring about such a summary:

  • There is one God. We shall love Him above all else.
  • Love others as we love ourselves.

Mark 12:28-34

    28One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31“The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

What a wonderful summary. If we do these things in the way that God’s word instructs us, we are not far from the kingdom of God.

Take care, however. While the summary is a great tool to bring with us, we should also dig deep in study and prayer to fully understand God’s word for how to love Him and how to love others. Love does not mean we just stay happy with everyone no matter what they do… and neither does God. Love means we care deeply to help others understand what is best for them and that means establishing boundaries and clear sense of right and wrong. Not everything is ok and accepting all behavior is not demonstrating God’s love.

Will you make the investment to understand how to love God and love others? Will you live it beyond just words and let it direct your path in life? Let us challenge each other to go deeper into God’s word and live it out as a way of testifying to others about Him!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me understand how You define loving You and loving others. Help me to live that out in a way that is pleasing to You and brings glory to You. Help me to live joyfully and gratefully. 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.

Guide, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant

Focus on God’s Plans Rather Than Our Own

No matter how great the man, even if he is a man after God’s own heart and a mighty leader, he is here for a limited time. Only the LORD is unchanging and eternal.  In Him, we should put our trust rather than mortal men. Similarly, we should not put our whole focus into our own pursuits but rather the pursuits of God.

Psalm 146:3-4

3Do not trust in noblemen, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. 4His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.

David made a very deliberate effort to prepare Solomon to be king and prepare the nation to accept him. David made significant preparations for the mission God had chosen for Solomon, to build a temple. David put his focus and efforts toward glorifying God and put himself secondary. He did not get prideful when he was told not to build the temple himself. He did not hold on to power until he died. He prepared his son and handed over the keys to the kingdom to help ensure the work of God on the temple would continue.

1 Chronicles 29:22b-30

Solomon Again Made King

       And they made Solomon the son of David king a second time, and they anointed him as ruler for the LORD and Zadok as priest. 23Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father; and he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. 24All the officials, the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David pledged allegiance to King Solomon. 25The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him royal majesty which had not been on any king before him in Israel.

      26Now David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27The period which he reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years and in Jerusalem thirty-three years.

Death of David

      28Then he died in a ripe old age, full of days, riches and honor; and his son Solomon reigned in his place. 29Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet and in the chronicles of Gad the seer, 30with all his reign, his power, and the circumstances which came on him, on Israel, and on all the kingdoms of the lands.

I see at least two parallels for many of us.

  • Do we put our focus and efforts into the plans of God, or the plans of men (including our own)?
  • Are we preparing others to continue God’s work after we are gone?

I would encourage each of us to prayerfully reflect on these questions and ask the Spirit to enlighten us as to any changes that should be made in our lives.

Father, please help me to be unselfish and focused on Your plans rather than the plans of men or even my own plans. Your plans are different than mine, but Yours are the ones that will endure and have lasting value. Your plans will bring glory to Your name rather than my own. Help me to truly prepare my children to follow You and whatever plans You have for them. Help me to act now to prepare them for those plans as You reveal them to us. 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.

Courage / Fear, Faithful, Guide, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant

Know, Love, and Serve the LORD for His Glory

David’s address about the temple in 1 Chronicles 28 is full of meaning. Though David was told he would not be the one to build the temple, which he wanted to build, he worked diligently to prepare the plans, his son and the people so that all was ready to go for Solomon. We should all seek to have such a productive response when God does not grant us the things we ask for or desire.

1 Chronicles 28

David’s Address about the Temple

      1Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that served the king, and the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, and the overseers of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, with the officials and the mighty men, even all the valiant men. 2Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brethren and my people; I had intended to build a permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it. 3“But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ 4“Yet, the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. 5“Of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 6“He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a father to him. 7‘I will establish his kingdom forever if he resolutely performs My commandments and My ordinances, as is done now.’ 8“So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek after all the commandments of the LORD your God so that you may possess the good land and bequeath it to your sons after you forever.

      9“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 10“Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act.”

      11Then David gave to his son Solomon the plan of the porch of the temple, its buildings, its storehouses, its upper rooms, its inner rooms and the room for the mercy seat; 12and the plan of all that he had in mind, for the courts of the house of the LORD, and for all the surrounding rooms, for the storehouses of the house of God and for the storehouses of the dedicated things; 13also for the divisions of the priests and the Levites and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD and for all the utensils of service in the house of the LORD; 14for the golden utensils, the weight of gold for all utensils for every kind of service; for the silver utensils, the weight of silver for all utensils for every kind of service; 15and the weight of gold for the golden lampstands and their golden lamps, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for the silver lampstands, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps according to the use of each lampstand; 16and the gold by weight for the tables of showbread, for each table; and silver for the silver tables; 17and the forks, the basins, and the pitchers of pure gold; and for the golden bowls with the weight for each bowl; and for the silver bowls with the weight for each bowl; 18and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the model of the chariot, even the cherubim that spread out their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

      19“All this,” said David, “the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern.”

      20Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished. 21“Now behold, there are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God, and every willing man of any skill will be with you in all the work for all kinds of service. The officials also and all the people will be entirely at your command.”

For David, it was all about God and God’s glory, not about himself. I ask God to help me to be more like this in my attitude.  I want to come back over a few verses for emphasis.

      9“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 10“Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act.”

This is guidance we should all follow, no matter what He calls us to do:

  • Know God and serve Him with whole heart and willing mind. The LORD knows and cares about our intentions and attitude. He cares about “why” we do something, and not just “what” we do.
  • If you seek Him, He will let you find Him. Do not expect full revelation of God from one brief encounter. To seek Him is an active and ongoing action in our lives. It takes time to build relationship with anyone, and God is no exception.
  • If you forsake Him, He will reject you.
  • Whatever God calls each of us to do, be courageous and act. We must take action and in many cases it will require some courage. Do not expect what He asks you to do to be easy.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help myself and all Your people to know and serve You with our whole heart and willing mind. Help us be hungry to seek You and to find You. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us. Let us not forsake You, either when times are good or bad. Give us courage to act and fulfill whatever You call us to do. 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.

Guide, Help / Serve Others, Submitted / Servant

Support Others in Their Work For Yahweh

At the LORD’s discretion, we may not always be called to do what we want to do in His service. It may have nothing to do with whether or not He is pleased with us. He chooses different people  for different missions. We are to be content or even joyful in fulfilling what He calls us to do. If He calls us into a helping role in some cases, where we wanted to lead, we should take caution not to rebel or resist, but rather support actively. This is the example that David sets when Yahweh selects Solomon to build the temple rather than David. He did not simply step aside and leave it all to Solomon. He worked hard to prepare everything so Solomon would be set up for success when it was time. David’s greatness was not diminished by the fact that he played a helping role to Solomon in the work of the LORD. I think it was rather the opposite. He showed his focus was on bringing glory to God and not just to himself.

1 Chronicles 22

David Prepares for Temple Building

      1Then David said, “This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

      2So David gave orders to gather the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God. 3David prepared large quantities of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and more bronze than could be weighed; 4and timbers of cedar logs beyond number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David. 5David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore now I will make preparation for it.” So David made ample preparations before his death.

Solomon Charged with the Task

      6Then he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel. 7David said to Solomon, “My son, I had intended to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. 8“But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me. 9‘Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10‘He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’ 11“Now, my son, the LORD be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the LORD your God just as He has spoken concerning you. 12“Only the LORD give you discretion and understanding, and give you charge over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. 13“Then you will prosper, if you are careful to observe the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed. 14“Now behold, with great pains I have prepared for the house of the LORD 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weight, for they are in great quantity; also timber and stone I have prepared, and you may add to them. 15“Moreover, there are many workmen with you, stonecutters and masons of stone and carpenters, and all men who are skillful in every kind of work. 16“Of the gold, the silver and the bronze and the iron there is no limit. Arise and work, and may the LORD be with you.”

      17David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon, saying, 18“Is not the LORD your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His people. 19“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise, therefore, and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD.”

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to serve you humbly and without too much focus on my self and my wants. Help me to do what You call me to do and do it joyfully and diligently. Let me not dwell or act in jealousy for what others are called to do in Your name. Help me to remember that my service is about You and not about me.  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.

Guide, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant

Whoever Has, to Him More Shall Be Given… Is That Fair?

By today’s culture, many likely read on the surface the following verse and think, “That is not fair.” More and more people are indoctrinated by the teaching of men with man’s concept of fair and somehow everyone is supposed to have equal outcomes.

Mark 4:25

25“For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

This same message is included in Luke 8:18 and Matthew 13:12 in the same context as Yeshua talks to His disciples about the parable of the sower.

There will never be equal outcomes because everyone is different and makes different choices. In fact, we are made intentionally different to serve the purposes of Yahweh (Romans 9) and for the purpose of functioning as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12).

It is important to put aside man’s view of “fair” and listen to what Yahweh’s word actually says. Do not miss the context. Yeshua was speaking to the disciples about why He taught in parables.

Mark 4:10-12

10As soon as He was alone, [b]His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables. 11And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for those who are outside, everything comes in parables, 12so that WHILE SEEING THEY MAY SEE, AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR, AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND IT WOULD BE FORGIVEN THEM.”

We may think it is unfair, but what we think does not define what is right. What the LORD says is right, is right, whether or not we understand it. Clearly the LORD is making a distinction about the level of knowledge of the kingdom of Yahweh that is being entrusted to the disciples vs. others who may come to hear what Yeshua was teaching. Some are given more insight and some very little.

To further clarify the bottom line of the message, it is helpful to review the parable of the talents in which Yeshua makes the same statement about those having more getting more and those having little, losing even what they have. The key is that those who are obedient in little things will be entrusted with much and will be given more. Those who can not be trusted with little things, will lose even what they have. This includes insights and wisdom about the kingdom, not just money.

Matthew 25:14-29

Parable of the Talents

      14“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15“To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16“Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17“In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18“But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

      19“Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20“The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

      22“Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

      24“And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

      26“But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

      29“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30“Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please guide me in Your wisdom. Please open my eyes to the truth of Your kingdom and how I should live. Help me to be trustworthy and obedient so that You would trust me with more. Let me never take for granted what You have given me so that I would lose it. 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.

Guide, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God

Seek Yahweh for the Battles You Face

For most of us, our battles will not be literal warfare. However, whether it is warfare or other challenges we face, we do well to seek and obey Yahweh on how to approach them. Obviously it is important to develop a deep personal relationship with Him before that time. Do not wait until you are in the battle to spend time with Him and His word. That said, You can reach out to Him in the battle even if you have not developed the relationship You want to have with Him.

1 Chronicles 14:8-17

Philistines Defeated

      8When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; and David heard of it and went out against them. 9Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the valley of Rephaim. 10David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You give them into my hand?” Then the LORD said to him, “Go up, for I will give them into your hand.” 11So they came up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there; and David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore they named that place Baal-perazim. 12They abandoned their gods there; so David gave the order and they were burned with fire.

      13The Philistines made yet another raid in the valley. 14David inquired again of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. 15“It shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” 16David did just as God had commanded him, and they struck down the army of the Philistines from Gibeon even as far as Gezer. 17Then the fame of David went out into all the lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him on all the nations.

I recognize we do not all hear this clearly from the LORD. However, each of us should strive to build relationship with Him so that we will hear from Him more clearly.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please hear my cry when I am facing challenges and I seek You. Help me to clearly hear and understand Your voice as David did. Give me the courage to obey when I do hear from You clearly. 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.

Guide, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant

What an Honor to be Chosen, Let Us Answer the Call

Do not assume that all of us are called with the same authority and purpose as the twelve. However, it is an honor to be called by our LORD no matter what our mission may be.  Let us seek to joyfully and consistently answer when He calls us.

Mark 3:13-19

The Twelve Are Chosen

      13And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, 15and to have authority to cast out the demons. 16And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”); 18and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot; 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

It helps me to remember that He does call me to change my life and to follow Him. I am called to seek Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. I am called to put Him first in my life. I am called to be a light to others to lead them to Him. I am not just called to continue living my life the way I was before He called me and squeeze time with Him in once a week for an hour or two. I am to be transformed over time to His image more and more.

The rest of the details may vary for each of us based on what gifts and abilities and specific mission He has called us to pursue, but we all have a common mission identified above.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for calling me and thank You for Your Spirit and Your written word that guide me. Help me to be a good and faithful servant, focused on joyfully carrying out whatever mission You choose for me. 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.

Guide, Healer, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Teachable

Did Yeshua Really Heal Everyone Who Came to Him?

It is interesting to pause and reflect on Yeshua’s ministry, that it was very demanding on Him. We don’t usually think of it that way, because He is God. However, He was also man. He slept, ate, drank, got tired, rested, etc.

As Yeshua healed people, His reputation spread and people came from farther and farther around. To be clear, it appears that most of these came for selfish reasons, for personal healing or healing of friends or family. They did not come seeking to hear His teaching. The miracles brought them in and then He was able to teach them while they were with Him.

Mark 3:7-12

      7Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, 8and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. 9And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; 10for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. 11Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” 12And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was.

This scripture also sheds light on the incorrect understanding that Yeshua came to heal everyone or healed everyone who came to Him. Some people take this to mean God wants everyone to be healed of all illness. It is not the case. Yeshua wanted to be able to get on a boat to keep distance from the crowds pressing in to touch Him and be healed. It is not that He did not have compassion, but rather that He was there to teach and guide people. He was not there to heal everyone. They were crowding so tightly they were impacting His teaching ministry.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to fully appreciate the tireless and difficult work that Yeshua did during His earthly ministry. Let me not take for granted the physical and emotional demands on Him personally. Help me in my life to seek You through Yeshua for who You are and what You teach and not just for my own personal healing or that of those around me. That said, thank you also that You invite us to come before You with our requests or personal needs and wants, including healing. 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.