Category Archives: His Timing Not Ours

His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Hope, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Thankfulness

I Know the Plans I Have for You… Plans for Good

The God and Creator of the universe has plans for you and me. Let that sink in. Even when we are in the midst of difficult times, God’s plans for us are still there! Those who seek Him wholeheartedly will find Him and be rescued. Those who reject Him will face serious consequences.

God spoke to Israel through Jeremiah during a time when many had lost hope. They had been exiled to Babylon, removed from their homes and lands to a faraway place and scattered amongst a culture far from God.

Jeremiah 29:1-23

4 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: 5 “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. 6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

8 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams, 9 because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the Lord.

10 This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

15 You claim that the Lord has raised up prophets for you in Babylon. 16 But this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all those still living here in Jerusalem—your relatives who were not exiled to Babylon. 17 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “I will send war, famine, and disease upon them and make them like bad figs, too rotten to eat. 18 Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery. 19 For they refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through the prophets I sent. And you who are in exile have not listened either,” says the Lord.

20 Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, all you captives there in Babylon. 21 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says about your prophets—Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah—who are telling you lies in my name: “I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar for execution before your eyes. 22 Their terrible fate will become proverbial, so that the Judean exiles will curse someone by saying, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned alive!’ 23 For these men have done terrible things among my people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have lied in my name, saying things I did not command. I am a witness to this. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

Throughout His word, God consistently reminds us that there is hope and salvation for those who wholeheartedly seek Him, but accountability and serious consequences for those who reject Him. Which path will you choose?

Take a few minutes and pray humbly before God. Even if you are facing difficulties and challenges, be encouraged and put your hope and faith in God. Thank Him that He has plans for you, plans to prosper you. Reflect on the greatness of our God.  Let that hope stay with you throughout your day.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. 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.

Devotions by John, His Timing Not Ours, Lying / Deceiving, Parables, Traditions / Holidays

A Parable About Sharing Christ Through Holiday Tradition

This is a parable about sharing Christ with non-Christians through holiday traditions. This is not a biblical parable, but it is similar to historical choices that the church has made regarding holiday traditions.

There were two men, each of whom wanted to share Christ with others. In this situation, they both wanted to reach Buddhists, but they had very different approaches.

The first man decided he would reach them with only the instructions laid out in the Bible. He knew it would be hard. He was dedicated to putting in the hard work to reach and serve them and to bring them only the truth of the God’s word from the Bible. He knew this may not bring the biggest crowds, but he wanted to ensure those who did respond to the message would genuinely be led toward Christ and a fruitful, Biblical relationship with Him. He understood that God must work in someone’s heart and draw them to Him if they are to truly follow Him. Man cannot do it alone. He worked tirelessly and met much resistance. He taught them about the appointed times of God in Leviticus 23 and taught them how and when to celebrate what God had instructed rather than what man had made up. Many were very attached to the traditions and customs they grew up with. Many rejected the message of the Bible, but those that did come truly came to know Christ and His teachings. They had to make hard choices and walk away from many traditions that were dear to them. They had to change even things they enjoyed in order to put Christ first and live His way. For those who judged by counting the number of “converts” or the number of people attending services, this ministry was deemed not very successful. But God saw those who were truly reached for Him and smiled. People had been reached with the truth and come to Him on His terms with repentance, thanksgiving, love and submission in their hearts. Their lives were fully transformed.

The second man observed the limited results of the first man’s efforts. He saw how many of the Buddhists refused to give up their traditions and practices, even if they were willing to listen about Christ. He had a different idea. He was sure he could make it easier for people to come accept Christ if he let them keep many of their traditions and just relabeled them with Christian meaning. He observed the Buddhist traditions and holidays. He compromised purity of the gospel of Christ by blending Biblical teaching with Buddhist teaching. For one example, he embraced Buddha statues. He said they represent God’s provision and abundance rather than Buddha. He understood that God says in the Bible not to worship Him the way that the pagans worship their Gods, but he thought that was too extreme for today’s situation. He could make this a good thing and lead people to Christ by using the pagan traditions. He had many more people show up to his services and accept Christ. For those who counted success by counting the number of people, this ministry seemed much more successful. God, however, was sad. He saw now a group of people who had not repented of their sin. They had not walked away from the things that He said were bad. They had not chosen to put Him first in their lives. They simply added Christ’s name and some of His teaching on top of the traditions and beliefs they previously held. Now they had a blended teaching which kept the people farther from Him, all the while making them comfortable that they had accepted Christ, though they had not changed their lives fully. They gave Christ only part of their attention and obedience. He was not first. Instead, family traditions and pagan worship traditions remained first in their hearts. They had “fit God in” around those other things.

Most Christians today would find the approach of the second man unacceptable. They clearly see that Buddhism is separate and cannot be blended with Christianity to get a godly result that Christ would be pleased with. If I said I was going to put up Buddha statues instead of a Christmas tree, they would confront me on it as wrong. However, if we study the history of Christmas for such things as evergreen decorations, Christmas trees, holly, yule log, gift exchange, and even the choice of Dec 25 itself we would find that all of these things started as pagan celebrations and traditions as part of their worship. The only difference is that the church accepted blending with these things so long ago that most of us have grown up with them as emotionally charged family traditions. Most of us have grown up with them with Christian labels and symbolism painted on top of pagan practices. Rather than turn away from them to please God, many convince themselves that they can make good what God said was bad by attaching different meaning. However, usually when I use the example of a Buddha statue, these same people see it as clearly wrong, because they do not have the bias of having grown up with the traditions, celebrated in the name of Christ. The two are not actually different except in timing.

My sincere hope is that all who read this pray about it, study the history of Christmas, study God’s word for where He says not to learn the way of the pagans, not to worship Him the way they worship and reflect on whether they are ready to really put God first and hold nothing back from him, including precious and emotionally important traditions of man. Let nothing come before Him in importance. Hold nothing back. Yes, it is hard, but you will grow ever closer to Him the more you put Him first in your life in all ways.

I recognize that this is an emotional subject for many and admitting that we should change is very hard. Even if we accept it and change our behavior, there will be much difficulty among family. This is to be expected when we stand for Christ above all others. Jesus said so himself in Matthew 10:23-39.

32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

35 ‘I have come to set a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36     Your enemies will be right in your own household!’[l]

37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

You can easily study online even using Christian encyclopedia’s like Zondervan or other encyclopedias. The origins are not secret, only that it has been accepted to celebrate God in ways that were developed by pagans for their gods.  119Ministries.com has put together an effective documentary in video form you can watch (The Christmas Question). They have previous teachings available for free you may consider as well (Sunburned – Part 1 and Sunburned – Part 2).

The LORD has also given us instructions on what holy days to celebrate to point to Him and our relationship with Him. They are called the Moedim and are outlined in Leviticus 23 and other places throughout the Bible. You can find scripture where Jesus participated in the Moedim. You will never find record of Jesus celebrating Christmas and Easter (or almost anything we celebrate commonly today) in the Biblical record. Passover is different than  Easter. See what they focus on. With God’s celebrations, the focus is always on Him and not gifts or food or simply ourselves. To learn more, read our teaching on Celebrating God’s Holy Days (Moedim) or scroll through and read from our Traditions/ Holidays category of teachings.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me have clarity and discernment in regards to the traditions of men vs. Your ways. Help me to have courage to change. Help me to put you 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 Powerful / King of All, Faithful, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Strong in Our Weakness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

I Will Exalt You, I Will Give Thanks to Your Name!

Take some time this day to reflect on God’s favor and give thanks!

Isaiah 25

Song of Praise for God’s Favor

1O LORD, You are my God;
I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name;
For You have worked wonders,
Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.

      2For You have made a city into a heap,
A fortified city into a ruin;
A palace of strangers is a city no more,
It will never be rebuilt.

      3Therefore a strong people will glorify You;
Cities of ruthless nations will revere You.

      4For You have been a defense for the helpless,
A defense for the needy in his distress,
A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat;
For the breath of the ruthless
Is like a rain storm against a wall.

      5Like heat in drought, You subdue the uproar of aliens;
Like heat by the shadow of a cloud, the song of the ruthless is silenced.

      6The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;
A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow,
And refined, aged wine.

      7And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples,
Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.

      8He will swallow up death for all time,
And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces,
And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth;
For the LORD has spoken.

      9And it will be said in that day,
“Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited;
Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

      10For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain,
And Moab will be trodden down in his place
As straw is trodden down in the water of a manure pile.

      11And he will spread out his hands in the middle of it
As a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim,
But the Lord will lay low his pride together with the trickery of his hands.

      12The unassailable fortifications of your walls He will bring down,
Lay low and cast to the ground, even to the dust.

No matter what your situation may be, whether you are on the mountain or in the valley, trust in the LORD and give Him thanks and praise. His plans are good. He is faithful. He is our shield and protector and deliverer. Rejoice and be glad in His salvation!

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. 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, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways

God Uses Events in Our Lives in Ways We Can’t Anticipate

Sometimes we experience chapters in our lives that seem not to fit in with the flow of everything else we are experiencing. We do not realize how God is preparing something to be used later for His purposes. While the whole book of Esther fits in this category as a whole, there is also a smaller example within toward the end of chapter 2. Mordecai uncovers a plot to kill the king and foils it, but ultimately gets no reward or attention at the time. Truth be told, he could easily have been angry with the king given how he collected Esther, whom Mordecai was raising, into a harem with many other young women. We see later, in Esther 6, that God is using this situation to protect Mordecai and really frustrate Haman at the same time. Of course, Mordecai could have no idea how that situation would come back to benefit himself later. That was not his motivation, but clearly once again God was at work.

Esther 2:20-23

Mordecai Saves the King

      21In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22But the plot became known to Mordecai and he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name. 23Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.

Esther 6:1-9

     1During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2It was found written what Mordecai had reported concerning Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 3The king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4So the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows which he had prepared for him. 5The king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman is standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6So Haman came in and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?” 7Then Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king desires to honor, 8let them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown has been placed; 9and let the robe and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble princes and let them array the man whom the king desires to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.’”

Sometimes we will experience chapters in our lives that may not make sense at the time. We may be tempted to dismiss them as just random parts of life. God can and does use these situations at times to bring about blessing for us or to bring about His plans. I have personally experienced times like these where I learned a certain skill and then not too long later was able to use it to greater glory for God. To use a very simple example, I recall troubleshooting electrical outlets and switches in my house to learn how to solve a problem I had. It had never come up for me before. Not a few months went by before I had the chance to help a widow by a quick fix on her bathroom with the same exact problem. I think it is awesome to watch God work!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help us to trust You at all times. Help us to recognize when You are at work in our lives. Thank You for preparing us and leading us through the events that may seem random to us at first but are actually part of how You are preparing us for something in the future! May the glory be to Your name and not our own. 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, 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.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Bitterness / Resentment, Faith / Trusting God, Guide, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Obeying God, Share the Good News

Trust and Obey God Even When Your Life Seems “Unfair”

Imagine that you have been imprisoned for two years without a fair trial concerning your guilt or innocence. Further imagine that you are there because you spoke boldly about the truth of Jesus Christ and people did not want to hear it. They made up lies about you and tried and plotted to have you killed, but failed in their efforts to carry it out. Would you doubt God’s plan for you? Would you grow bitter and resentful of God or men?

These things happened to Paul. In fact, after two years of prison, a new ruler took over and Paul’s accusers were first in line to once again convict or kill Paul without a fair trial. In two years they had lost none of their zeal to kill Paul. Because of nothing but political favor, Festus even tries to encourage Paul to submit to being tried in Jerusalem… knowing that it will not be a fair trial for him.

How many of us might grow weary and begin to doubt God’s plan for us in this situation? Paul never wavers. He knows God called him to testify of Christ in Jerusalem and that he must also go to Rome. He understands and keeps focused even after two years in captivity. He continues to defend aggressively that he obeys the law of God as the Jews do, and also that he has committed no crime against Rome. He is innocent. The Jews are just angry because they reject Messiah Yeshua and Paul teaches the truth about Him.

Acts 23:11

      11But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.”

Acts 24:24-27

  24But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you.” 26At the same time too, he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to send for him quite often and converse with him. 27But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.

Paul continues to trust in God, and in God’s timing, despite the difficult and “unfair” circumstances. He does not get angry or bitter at God. He does not compromise the truth of Christ to make his own life easier. God clearly uses a series of events in Paul’s life that none of us would imagine using as a way to send Paul to Rome to testify about Christ. Along the way he is granted opportunity to share the gospel before local and regional leaders that normally would never hear this message.

Acts 25

Paul before Festus

      1Festus then, having arrived in the province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, 3requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way). 4Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5“Therefore,” he said, “let the influential men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them prosecute him.”

      6After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove, 8while Paul said in his own defense, “I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” 9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?” 10But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11“If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.” 12Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.”

      13Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. 14While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix; 15and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16“I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. 17“So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me. 18“When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, 19but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20“Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. 21“But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”

Paul before Agrippa

      23So, on the next day when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that he ought not to live any longer. 25“But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death; and since he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26“Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27“For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him.”

We should each of us be cautious in assuming we know how God will work in our lives or the lives of others around us. God often works in ways we would never choose ourselves. At times we may come to doubt or question God because of difficult challenges in our lives. Make note of Paul. Follow his example. Honor God faithfully and boldly regardless of the circumstances you find yourself in. Do not expect your life in submission to Christ to be easy or relaxing. You will have peace, yes, but peace through difficult circumstances.

Are there things in your life you are experiencing now or experienced in the past that you are angry or bitter with God about? Are there events in your life now that you feel are “unfair”? Prayerfully ask God to help you see His hand at work in these events and how you can more effectively proclaim the gospel of Christ as a result of them. Even if you cannot understand why… or why me… trust in God fully and obey Him faithfully regardless of circumstances.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help us to see past difficulty and challenges and see the opportunity to share the good news. Help us to be bold and courageous and filled with strong faith. Keep us focused on You and not ourselves. Amen. 

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

All 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 Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Provider

God Can Make a Way Where None Exists

I am sure the people of Judah did not see how they would get out of the Babylonian captivity. They certainly had not gained enough power on their own to break free and return to Jerusalem. They would remember the word of the LORD by Jeremiah that they would return, but they likely could not know how.

God makes a way when none seems to exist. He stirred the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia. The people were not only allowed and encouraged to go, but also supported financially. Then the LORD stirred up also the people whom He wanted to return to Jerusalem.

What are you facing today that may feel hopeless? What situations face you that you cannot see clearly a path forward to success or resolution? Call upon the LORD and trust in Him. Whether or not He delivers exactly what You are asking for, trust in Him! Know that He is able, and He may do it in a way that you don’t anticipate.

Ezra 1

Cyrus’s Proclamation

      1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:

      2“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3‘Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4‘Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’”

Holy Vessels Restored

      5Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. 6All those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering. 7Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods; 8and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. 9Now this was their number: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 duplicates; 1030 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles. 11All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

All of us face situations that are beyond our control. It may be seeking the right path for us or our children that God has for us. It could be challenges at work or school, illness, physical or other limitations, or even finding meaningful fellowship with others who strive to live as Jesus demonstrated.  Sometimes it may seem there is no way to control or plan with our own power to get to the outcome we want. I encourage you to turn to the LORD and diligently pray for Him to meet our needs and bless us in these situations in which we find ourselves striving but unclear on how to overcome.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help Your people trust in You. Help us to bring our burdens to You and ask diligently for Your help. Help us to trust You in the outcome. You may often answer in unexpected ways, but Your ways are higher than ours. Help us to find peace in 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.

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.

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.