Category Archives: Grace / Forgiveness

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness

If You Do Not Forgive, Your Father Will Not Forgive You

Scripture today is short on length, but long on meaning. Take time to really reflect on forgiveness. Mark 11 is one of many places this is addressed. Do not breeze over it. We are all guilty before God. We all need forgiveness. Thus we should pay attention to anything which may get in the way of that.

Mark 11:25-26

25“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. 26[“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”]

Forgiveness is quite interesting in another perspective as well. If we don’t forgive, if we instead hold bitterness… we hurt ourselves. It affects us even if the other person is totally unaware or does not care. We actually help ourselves in more ways than one to embrace forgiveness. I recognize that it is harder for some, so ask for His help!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your forgiveness of my sins. I pray You would help me to forgive others quickly and for Your glory. Let my life and the lives of Your people be characterized by forgiveness and being forgiven. 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.

Arrogance, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Learning To Pray Effectively, Merciful, Pride

Pray Humbly and Wholeheartedly for Personal Repentance

For those of us who wish to truly submit to Yeshua and follow him, we must be willing to humbly admit our faults in order to change them. Yeshua provides a wonderful example of a sinful man who genuinely comes before YHWH for repentance and contrasts that with someone who is praying in a noticeably prideful manner. I encourage each of us to thoughtfully and humbly read the scripture from Luke and then come before our father in genuine humility, admitting our sins, and ask for genuine forgiveness with wholehearted commitment to repent and sin no more.

Luke 18:9-14

9And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13“But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14“I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

All of us remain sinful, no matter where we are in our journey. Take time to identify an area in which you need change and come before YHWH with pure motive and pure heart, privately, and ask forgiveness and ask his help with repentance. Then work consciously to change your wrong behavior and he will help you. Avoid the trap of just asking forgiveness and then continuing in your sin, without repentance and change on your part. If you refuse to change, that is not true repentance and acknowledgment that you are wrong. There is a distinction between having difficulty changing and refusing to change or not trying. Often we will need his help to change our ways as it is difficult for us.

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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.

Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Dreams, Faith / Trusting God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Justice / Judgment, Merciful, Prophecy, Prophecy, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Through Prophets, Visions, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The Day Of Judgment Will Come For Each Of Us

The coming day of judgment will be difficult for those that rebel against and do not submit to YHWH now. Of course, some will face judgment when they die, before He returns and their fate is equally grave should they not have submitted to the LORD. Judgment comes for all of us. Each of us should ask ourselves, “Am I prepared? Am I preparing my children? my household?”

The LORD is ever merciful, though and the answer is quite simple. Turn to him. Repent. Consider Joel 2:12-13 below. Remember, the only way to the father is through the son, Yeshua.  (John 14:6)

Joel 2

     1Blow a trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
For the day of the LORD is coming;
Surely it is near,

      2A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness.
As the dawn is spread over the mountains,
So there is a great and mighty people;
There has never been anything like it,
Nor will there be again after it
To the years of many generations.

      3A fire consumes before them
And behind them a flame burns.
The land is like the garden of Eden before them
But a desolate wilderness behind them,
And nothing at all escapes them.

      4Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like war horses, so they run.

      5With a noise as of chariots
They leap on the tops of the mountains,
Like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble,
Like a mighty people arranged for battle.

      6Before them the people are in anguish;
All faces turn pale.

      7They run like mighty men,
They climb the wall like soldiers;
And they each march in line,
Nor do they deviate from their paths.

      8They do not crowd each other,
They march everyone in his path;
When they burst through the defenses,
They do not break ranks.

      9They rush on the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They enter through the windows like a thief.

      10Before them the earth quakes,
The heavens tremble,
The sun and the moon grow dark
And the stars lose their brightness.

      11The LORD utters His voice before His army;
Surely His camp is very great,
For strong is he who carries out His word.
The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome,
And who can endure it?

      12“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning;

      13And rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.

      14Who knows whether He will not turn and relent
And leave a blessing behind Him,
Even a grain offering and a drink offering
For the LORD your God?

      15Blow a trumpet in Zion,
Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,

      16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and the nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom come out of his room
And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

      17Let the priests, the LORD’S ministers,
Weep between the porch and the altar,
And let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD,
And do not make Your inheritance a reproach,
A byword among the nations.
Why should they among the peoples say,
‘Where is their God?’”

Deliverance Promised

18Then the LORD will be zealous for His land
And will have pity on His people.

      19The LORD will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied in full with them;
And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.

      20“But I will remove the northern army far from you,
And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land,
And its vanguard into the eastern sea,
And its rear guard into the western sea.
And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up,
For it has done great things.”

      21Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad,
For the LORD has done great things.

      22Do not fear, beasts of the field,
For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green,
For the tree has borne its fruit,
The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.

      23So rejoice, O sons of Zion,
And be glad in the LORD your God;
For He has given you the early rain for your vindication.
And He has poured down for you the rain,
The early and latter rain as before.

      24The threshing floors will be full of grain,
And the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.

      25“Then I will make up to you for the years
That the swarming locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.

      26“You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied
And praise the name of the LORD your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
Then My people will never be put to shame.

      27“Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel,
And that I am the LORD your God,
And there is no other;
And My people will never be put to shame.

The Promise of the Spirit

28“It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.

      29“Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

The Day of the LORD

30“I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth,
Blood, fire and columns of smoke.

      31“The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood
Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

      32“And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD
Will be delivered;
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who escape,
As the LORD has said,
Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.

There is so much more in Joel 2 than just the message of repentance and the LORD’s mercy and forgiveness or His judgment and justice. There is the promise of the Holy Spirit coming to mankind and then also the coming of the LORD in judgment that follows. This is truly a prophetic scripture that is worth reflecting on and rereading multiple times.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please open my eyes to all that Your scriptures entail and help me understand how it should lead and guide my life. Thank You for the Spirit. Thank You for mercy and grace. Thank You for Yeshua who died so I would have a path to redemption and reconciliation with You. 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.

Compassionate, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Giving, Grace / Forgiveness, Grace / Patience, Help / Serve Others, Humility, Kindness / Gentleness, Love, Merciful, Mercy, Patient

Treat Others How You Want Yahweh to Treat You

The book of Mark is like a highlight reel. There is a lot packed in each chapter and not all of it has a lot of background context. Fortunately, if we are willing to invest a bit of time, we can cross reference with the other gospels and help to ensure we understand more completely.

Yeshua warned His disciples that the standard of measure they would use, is what our Father will use to judge them. Keep this in mind when reading Luke 6. If we first read Luke 6 strictly from the perspective of how we should treat others, we may tend to think that it is a very high bar and maybe find it a it tough to wrap our minds around. I get a slightly different perspective when I read it from the perspective of this is how I would like others to treat me, including my heavenly Father!

We are to engage others using a very challenging and selfless standard and in turn trust that the LORD will have mercy and grace on us accordingly.

Mark 4:24

 24And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.

Luke 6:27-38

    27“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29“Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. 30“Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. 32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33“If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34“If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

      37“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

The closing line says it all… we are to treat others by the same standard we wish for God to use in His relationship with us and also how we would like others to treat us. Take time to dwell on that and truly allow yourself the humility to accept where you are not living up to the right standard. I have quite a bit of room to grow in this area. There is more grace and mercy I can pour out to others in my relationship with them… more love… more giving. I pray the Holy Spirit helps me and I know He will, because He always does. Praise God He is so compassionate and loving and filled with mercy and grace in His relationship with me. Let me be so to others.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead me in how I treat others. Help me to be selfless and filled with mercy, compassion, and grace. Thank You for the mercy, compassion, and grace You have for me and others. 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.

Discerning / Judging, Grace / Forgiveness, His Ways Are Not Our Ways

The LORD Uses Unexpected People; You May Be One of Them

Matthew was not a popular person. No Jewish person liked the tax collector who was collecting for the Romans, and often taking more than they should so they had some profit for themselves as well. It has not changed all that much even today. When I do business with most, I get a name. When the IRS sends me something they do not give a contact name but some sort of code or ID. I presume they are shielding their people’s identity because they know most people do not like what they do even today.

Yeshua chose Matthew. He saw something in Him. Matthew immediately followed and left behind what he was doing. Do not miss both of these facts. If Yeshua can use Matthew, He can also use a lot of unexpected people, and you and I may be some of them. Answer quickly when He calls.

Mark 2:13-17

Levi (Matthew) Called

      14As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

Do not overlook that Matthew was likely turning away from a good personal financial situation to follow Yeshua. It was not simply convenient for him to drop everything and follow Yeshua. I also conclude that Matthew had heard of Yeshua or even heard Him directly, and was aware of the miracles. It was not as if a stranger came and called Him.

I suppose we can also keep in mind when we see others coming in the name of Yeshua, some of them may have unexpected background and we may be tempted to reject some on their personal history. Take care not to do this to readily. They may be one more unexpected person responding to the call of Yeshua to share the gospel. Test them on what they teach and the fruit they bear, not solely on their past mistakes or lifestyle.

Similarly, do not exclude the possibility that He will choose to use you because of your past either. Be ready to answer the call.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have discernment to test others not by their past mistakes alone but by their fruit and what they teach and how they live.  Please help me be prepared to answer quickly when You call. 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.

Grace / Forgiveness, Loving / Kind, Miracles, Miracles

Many Signs and Wonders Accompanied Yeshua’s Death and Resurrection

Clearly He was the son of God. Darkness fell on the land when it should normally be light. Yeshua yielded up His spirit, meaning that His physical body died. The temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and rocks were split. There were a lot of very unusual events taking place around the time of Yeshua’s death. YHWH was trying to get people’s attention once more to highlight Yeshua as Messiah. One last series of miracles in regards to Yeshua’s earthly ministry.

Matthew 27:45-56

      45Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” 47And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” 50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

      55Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. 56Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

As we reflect on the many miracles taking place to mark the passing of Messiah in His earthly body, I will highlight one selection of verses I have never heard anyone speak on or write on to further develop. I haver certainly never heard them in a church service. (I am sure someone has developed or studied this somewhere.)

52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Many tombs were opened up as the earth shook when Yeshua died and then were raised from the dead after Yeshua was resurrected several days later. They appeared to many people in the city. As there is no record of them being taken away to heave, I presume they went on to live out their lives until they died again.

Even the roman soldiers, who did not believe in YHWH recognized that this was worthy of notice as they declared, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” Let’s challenge ourselves never to take this momentous event for granted. Our God came in the person of Yeshua to live and die for us. When He walked among us and when He died there were many powerful signs and wonders to declare it such that even the pagans recognized it to some degree. May we never forget or fail to recognize the significance of what happened. May it never get boring or dull for us. May it always be fresh and fill us with perhaps both sorrow and joy.

I invite you to pray with me.

Father, please help us never to grow cold to the many miracles that You provided to help us understand the significance of what happened when Yeshua was crucified and died. Let us never take it for granted or lose the amazement at what happened. Let our love for You and our enthusiasm for Your miracles not grow cold. 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, Courage / Fear, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Guide, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant

You Will Deny Me Three Times

Peter was one of Yeshua’s closest disciples. He was a bold man and not timid. Consider Matthew 14:22-33 as one example, where Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on water. However, he failed Yeshua by denying Him three times. To be fair the situation was stressful and surprising. Peter had the courage to follow Yeshua as He was arrested. But when confronted, Peter denied Yeshua.

Was that the end of Peter’s ministry and service to the LORD? Absolutely not! The LORD forgave him and still used Him dramatically.

Matthew 26:31-35

      31Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ 32“But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” 34Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.

Matthew 26:69-75

Peter’s Denials

      69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” 73A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.” 74Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. 75And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

We can be encouraged by remembering Peter when we fall short and disappoint ourselves and God. We serve a forgiving and gracious God. If we repent and submit to His lordship, He can still use us and work through us! Do not give up on serving Him just because you make mistakes. Seek His help to increase your faith and boldness and ask the Spirit to lead and guide you more fully. Devote time to strengthening relationship with Him.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please forgive me when I fail You, in big or small ways. Help me acknowledge it and repent and rededicate myself to Your service. Let Your Holy Spirit dwell in me and lead and guide me more fully. Help me to be a faithful and bold servant and bring honor and glory to Your name. 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.

Grace / Forgiveness, Loving / Kind, Thankfulness

Take This In Remembrance of Me

The LORD’s supper is something we can come to take for granted if we do it often, or come to not think of it at all if we never take it. When I attended a church where it was given weekly, it became almost just a routine or ritual. When I have attended other churches that take the LORD’s supper rarely, I come to really just not focus on it at all. Somewhere in between is a good place to be. It helps us remember that Christ sacrificed His body and shed His blood for our sins, so that we could be forgiven. It is good to remember and take time to truly reflect on that sacrifice. Don’t take it without really thinking about what it means. Don’t forget to take it from time to time with others who follow Yeshua.

Matthew 26:26-35

The Lord’s Supper Instituted

      26While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29“But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

      30After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

      31Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ 32“But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” 34Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.

I think we can also recognize that they sang a hymn together. That is a good thing to do with fellow believers. We don’t often think of Yeshua as singing, but He and His disciples surely did.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have the right attitude about taking the LORD’s supper in remembrance of Yeshua and His sacrifice for me. Help me not to overlook the significance and help me not to ignore this symbolic way of remembering what You have done for me. Thank You for making a way for me to be forgiven and reconciled to You. 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.

Evidence in Scripture, Family, Grace / Forgiveness, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Merciful

Does God Care If I Just Skip the Genealogies in the Bible?

There are some among us who are genealogy buffs. They want to know who their ancestors were and what that may indicate about their origin. They want to see who else they may be related to. To these, the beginning chapters of 1 Chronicles are a potential delight. There is a lot of information compiled here about genealogies. In chapter 2, we can read about the sons of Jacob (Israel) and David.

For many these can seem dull or pointless, but I would point out that there is value in all aspects of what Yahweh included in the Bible. We can continue to see that family matters to Yawheh. We see it was the fundamental structure around which His people were organized. We can further see that the Bible is an historical document. Nobody put these in here just for the excitement of the story to catch readers. We can sometimes also find other interesting facts, if we invest some time.

For example, we know David was a significant king of God’s people and a central figure in scripture, including much of his inspired songs captured in Psalms. He was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).  Matthew 1:1 indicates Yeshua was in the family line of David. We can see in the genealogies that David is from the tribe of Judah, but likely most of us already knew it from other scriptures. But we can look deeper and tie together some key points that may be interesting.

David and Messiah Yeshua both have in their lineage some people who had personal failures and troubled families. Judah and Tamar can be read about in Genesis 38.  Quick summary is that Tamar was a daughter in law of Judah. She was widowed by one son and then married and widowed by another. Judah ended up being tricked into knowing her sexually outside of marriage. (Read more from Christianity.com: Who Was Tamar in the Bible_ Their Story and Significance). Ultimately this relationship factors in to the line of David. Similarly, we see elsewhere in scripture that Solomon came from a rather infamous relationship that David had with Bathsheba and that ended up in the line of Yeshua.

If we look for it, we can see in these genealogies the grace and mercy of our God. We do not need to be perfect or from perfect families to be used by Him for His purposes. I like the way Christianity.com summarized it in the article linked above,

“This is testament to God’s prevailing mercy. For even the most flawed and sinful of men can be used and blessed by God, not because of their merit, but because of His grace and the power of repentance.”

With this as a start for encouraging you to read and perhaps study the genealogies… here we go.

1 Chronicles 2

Genealogy: Twelve Sons of Jacob (Israel)

      1These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, 2Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

      3The sons of Judah were Er, Onan and Shelah; these three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put him to death. 4Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.

      5The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 6The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol and Dara; five of them in all. 7The son of Carmi was Achar, the troubler of Israel, who violated the ban. 8The son of Ethan was Azariah.

Genealogy of David

      9Now the sons of Hezron, who were born to him were Jerahmeel, Ram and Chelubai. 10Ram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, leader of the sons of Judah; 11Nahshon became the father of Salma, Salma became the father of Boaz, 12Boaz became the father of Obed, and Obed became the father of Jesse; 13and Jesse became the father of Eliab his firstborn, then Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, 14Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, 15Ozem the sixth, David the seventh; 16and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the three sons of Zeruiah were Abshai, Joab and Asahel. 17Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.

      18Now Caleb the son of Hezron had sons by Azubah his wife, and by Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 19When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. 20Hur became the father of Uri, and Uri became the father of Bezalel.

      21Afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Segub. 22Segub became the father of Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. 23But Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, with Kenath and its villages, even sixty cities. All these were the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead. 24After the death of Hezron in Caleb-ephrathah, Abijah, Hezron’s wife, bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

      25Now the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were Ram the firstborn, then Bunah, Oren, Ozem and Ahijah. 26Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. 27The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, Jamin and Eker. 28The sons of Onam were Shammai and Jada. And the sons of Shammai were Nadab and Abishur. 29The name of Abishur’s wife was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid. 30The sons of Nadab were Seled and Appaim, and Seled died without sons. 31The son of Appaim was Ishi. And the son of Ishi was Sheshan. And the son of Sheshan was Ahlai. 32The sons of Jada the brother of Shammai were Jether and Jonathan, and Jether died without sons. 33The sons of Jonathan were Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel. 34Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. And Sheshan had an Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha. 35Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant in marriage, and she bore him Attai. 36Attai became the father of Nathan, and Nathan became the father of Zabad, 37and Zabad became the father of Ephlal, and Ephlal became the father of Obed, 38and Obed became the father of Jehu, and Jehu became the father of Azariah, 39and Azariah became the father of Helez, and Helez became the father of Eleasah, 40and Eleasah became the father of Sismai, and Sismai became the father of Shallum, 41and Shallum became the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah became the father of Elishama.

      42Now the sons of Caleb, the brother of Jerahmeel, were Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph; and his son was Mareshah, the father of Hebron. 43The sons of Hebron were Korah and Tappuah and Rekem and Shema. 44Shema became the father of Raham, the father of Jorkeam; and Rekem became the father of Shammai. 45The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Bethzur. 46Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza and Gazez; and Haran became the father of Gazez. 47The sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph. 48Maacah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. 49She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbena and the father of Gibea; and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah. 50These were the sons of Caleb.
The sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, were Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim, 51Salma the father of Bethlehem and Hareph the father of Beth-gader. 52Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had sons: Haroeh, half of the Manahathites, 53and the families of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites and the Mishraites; from these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. 54The sons of Salma were Bethlehem and the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites. 55The families of scribes who lived at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites and the Sucathites. Those are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.

Hopefully, if you have read this far, you understand the value that may be found in the genealogies. Does God care if we read them? Well, maybe I could rephrase it and ask, “Why would He include them if He did not want us to read them?”

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have a passion for all of Your word. Help me to have wisdom to understand it and share it with others. Lead me in the Spirit to have insight into how it applies in my life. 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 Powerful / King of All, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Free Will, Grace / Forgiveness, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Salvation, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant

God Will Not Force You to Accept Him as Lord

God is unlimited in power.  He has no boundaries. The physical laws He created do not restrain Him. There are plenty of examples when He breaks the physical laws. We call those times miracles.  He similarly has no “contractual” or “legal” boundaries which bind or limit Him , as some suggest.  He chooses what He will do and what He will not. It is His choice based on what He has determined to be right that guides what He does and does not do.

That said, He wants to gather His people together and protect them. He wants us to choose Him and live according to His ways. He has sent prophets and teachers and even Yeshua to show us the way. He has provided a way through Yeshua for our sins to be forgiven by accepting Him as our Savior and Messiah.

However, He has granted us free will to choose Him or reject Him. He does not force us to submit to Him as Lord. For those whom He has chosen, the choice remains our own. Will we choose Him as our Lord or will we do things our own way?

Matthew 23:29-39

   29“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31“So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32“Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

      34“Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, 35so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36“Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

      37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38“Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39“For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’”

Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

I invite you to pray:

Father, please help those whom You have chosen to choose You in return. Help me and others to accept You as Lord. Help me to embrace Your ways and Your forgiveness of sin. Lead me in the paths of righteousness. Thank You for the gift of free will with which I can have a meaningful relationship with You. 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.