Category Archives: Character of God

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin

Did Judas Repent For Betraying Jesus?

Matthew 27:1-10 documents the guilt and regret that Judas experienced after betraying Jesus. He could not handle it and ultimately committed suicide. Let us take this opportunity to explore what some believe is evidence of Judas repenting from his sin and betrayal.  This is indeed an important lesson in that all of us have sinned and done wrong. All of us fall short of the glory of God and are faced with how to respond to that reality.

      1Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death; 2and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor.

      3Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” 5And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. 6The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood.” 7And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers. 8For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “AND THEY TOOK THE THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER, THE PRICE OF THE ONE WHOSE PRICE HAD BEEN SET BY THE SONS OF ISRAEL; 10AND THEY GAVE THEM FOR THE POTTER’S FIELD, AS THE LORD DIRECTED ME.”

Some people get confused and want to believe that because Judas killed himself, it indicates a repentant heart and he was reconciled to God. This is a misunderstanding of repentance. Scripture gives no evidence of Judas repenting from his betrayal of Jesus. Judas simply felt guilt and could not handle it. He committed suicide. This is reminiscent of Cain’s response when confronted by God for murdering Able. Cain never admitted he was wrong, he never asked forgiveness, he never changed his behavior to follow and obey God… he simply could not handle the consequences of his wrong doing. Cain did not turn away from his wrong doing toward God (repentance), he regretted getting punished.

Genesis 4:9-13       9Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. 11“Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12“When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” 13Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is too great to bear!

One of the greatest examples of repentance involves Saul (later known as Paul). He was passionately killing Christians and after a dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul does not kill himself, but rather turns from wrong behavior to right behavior and spends the rest of his life passionately obeying Jesus Christ and going about God’s work spreading the gospel… enduring many hardships along the way for the sake of Christ.

Acts 9:17-22  17So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; 19and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, 20and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Indeed, Saul truly repented… turned away from his wrong behavior. He asked forgiveness from Jesus and submitted the rest of his life to the work of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Saul was forgiven and reconciled with God.

For all of us who have sinned and made mistakes… and that is all of us… we must understand how to response to the gracious offer of forgiveness offered by Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:23  23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

We must admit we have done wrong, have sinned, and cannot save ourselves. We must believe in our heart that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again so our sins could be forgiven and by accepting Him as Lord of our life we can become a born again Christian. . We must confess Jesus as Lord of our life and follow Him.

Romans 10:9-10 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Do you want to be forgiven for all that you have done wrong? Are you ready to change your life and follow Jesus as your leader? Pray with us, but pray genuinely with your heart because it is not about the specific words but the condition of the heart and submission to God.

Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I confess that Jesus is Lord. I believe in my heart that you raised Him from the dead. Come into my heart Jesus, and be Lord over my life. Thank you God for saving me.

If you made this decision today, we encourage you to reach out to us or other Christians so that we can welcome you into the body of Christ as well as pray for you and provide more information and encouragement for your life changing decision. You can reach us through our Contact Us page.

This is not all there is! This is but the beginning… the doorway. Once you pass through this doorway you submit your whole life to Christ. It requires a combination of Intellect (knowing God), Emotion (loving God and fearing God), and Will (choosing to do His will instead of our own). It is an ongoing decision in our lives that starts us on a journey to know God more intimately and to obey Him more completely. It requires study and prayer and action. It is a journey we never finish in this life, but it transforms us along the way to be more and more like Jesus Christ.

Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Salvation, Study the Word

Jesus Clearly Claims To Be Son Of God… Not Just A Prophet

For all those who claim that Jesus never said He was the Son of God… they stand in error. Billions of people around the world are misled by this deception and the Bible could not be clearer. Jesus could not have spoken more clearly than He did in Matthew 26:57-68. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God… thus He is not just a good teacher or prophet, but the Messiah.

Jesus before Caiaphas

      57Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. 58But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.

      59Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. 60They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, 61and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’” 62The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”

      65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”

      67Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, 68and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”

The chief priests took quite some time going through witnesses to obtain false testimony about Jesus. Many false witnesses came, yet they did not find what they wanted as an excuse to kill Him. So, by contrast, we see that they clearly understood that Jesus claimed to be Son of God, which is to say God. For when they heard this, they stopped bringing witnesses and declared Jesus’ death sentence. They were being thorough and considered Jesus’ claim to be very clear.

Then they beat Him and spat on Him. Jesus experienced much physical and emotional pain up to death and the cross on our behalf. Jesus suffered this pain and humiliation for our sins… our mistakes.

Make no mistake… since Jesus clearly claimed to be Son of God. There are only three choices for us to rationally consider. Jesus is either God, as He says, or He is a liar or a madman. He cannot be a prophet or good teacher.

Billions are wrong about Jesus… Jewish people and Muslims along with others, deny that Jesus was God. They deny the very God who came to die for them and take their burden of sin for them. Many who identify as Christian dismiss what Jesus did too lightly as well. They continue in their sin, insisting on doing things their way instead of God’s way. There is only one way to God.

[John 14:6]  6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

God humbled Himself to become man in the person of Jesus Christ. He did so to provide a path to forgiveness for all we have done wrong in our lives… all the wrong we have done against living according to His standard as revealed in the Biblical text. The Bible is incredibly relevant. It is the greatest story ever told!

Please do not “read the Bible it in a year”…  but rather study it for a lifetime and apply God’s word to your life. We invite you to study the Bible with us daily through our devotions via email, Facebook, Google Plus, or on our website Latest Devotions page. You can also look around our website (HearingFromJesus.org) for many more resources and tools to help you.

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as God, as the one who personally came to take the punishment for your mistakes, I urge you to do so today. Do not delay. None of us knows how much time we have before we die and then it is too late to submit to Him and accept Him as Lord. Tell your family and friends about Him!

Learn more about accepting Jesus as leader of your life through The Message of the Cross.

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Consequences of Sin, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Obeying God, Salvation

Jesus Gave Himself Willingly

2 Comments

Jesus demonstrates His great love for us in Matthew 26:47-56, in that He volunteered to suffer and die for our past mistakes so we could return to relationship with God. How many people can you imagine trusting God this much, volunteering for what was to happen… to save others? Most of us would be saying “I did not do anything wrong, so do not punish me.”

What great love God has for us! Jesus willingly suffered and died for our sins, so our past (and future) mistakes could be forgiven.

Jesus’ Betrayal and Arrest

      47While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.” 49Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.

      51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. 53“Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54“How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

      55At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. 56“But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

Surely each of us can think of things we wish we would not have done in our past. Jesus died so we could be forgiven of these things and be reconciled with God. Jesus could clearly have defended Himself with even a thought… calling upon a host of angels to protect Him. He did not. He actually directed the one who did defend Him with a sword to put it away. From Luke 22 we see even more amazing grace from our Lord, Jesus. Jesus healed the injured man… one of those who had come to take Him into custody!

 50And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.

Jesus shows amazing love and grace for His people. To accept His offer of forgiveness, we must admit we have done wrong and turn away from our wrong behaviors and attitudes… those motivated by our personal selfish desires. We must turn toward Jesus, asking Him to forgive our past mistakes. We submit our lives to Jesus as our leader, our Lord, and we begin to live according to His example… in obedience to God.  Then we can be restored to close relationship with God and truly find joy in this world and the world to come!

If you have not made this personal decision to make Jesus the leader of your life, I urge you to do so today. Do not delay. (Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.) This most important decision is the beginning of a journey that lasts your entire lifetime… transforming you to be more like Jesus and less like your old self.

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Can God Use Me?, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Prophecy, Righteousness / Serving God, Share the Good News

Truly I Say To You That One Of You Will Betray Me

We continue with Jesus in the final days of His earthly ministry before crucifixion in Matthew 26:26-35. Earlier in Matthew 26, chief priests are plotting against Jesus, a woman honored Him with expensive perfume, Judas plans to betray Him… the pace of activity is very quick. Jesus knows all of it, including what awaits Him in suffering and dying and being resurrected over the next few days. Still, Jesus focuses on celebrating the Passover, as God has commanded.

The Last Passover

      20Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. 21As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” 22Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. 24“The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” 25And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”

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.

First, let us note that Jesus indicates only one will betray Him. Clearly He is indicating Judas as the betrayer. Thus, Peter’s denial is recognized by Jesus as a failure on Peter’s part, but not a betrayal. Judas had intentional plans to betray Jesus for profit. Peter’s heart was true, but his flesh was weak. Give Peter his due… he followed along with Jesus further than the others. It was in doing so that he ultimately denies Jesus. Likewise, the failure of the other disciples to stand with Jesus due to their fear was not counted as betrayal… though it appears they fell short of a perfect standard in their response to Jesus’ being taken into custody by the Romans.

We will also, through our continued reading of Matthew, confirm that Jesus knows what is going to happen before it does. Several examples… Judas’ betrayal, Peter’s denial, and Jesus’ death and resurrection. All these examples continue to point to Jesus as God.

Jesus gives us a symbolic example through which we can remember His death for our sins. The wine and bread, properly considered and presented, can be a powerful reminder of the suffering and sacrifice… of the love of our savior, Jesus Christ. Do not let it become empty repetition with no meaning, but rather prayerfully consider each time you partake, reminding yourself what it represents.

I find it worth noting that Jesus and His disciples sung a hymn before they went to the Mount of Olives. We, too, can honor God in praising Him through song. Music and song can help us connect with God emotionally, in a way that perhaps studying the word of God does not. Both are good and complement one another.

Peter and the other disciples meant well, insisting they would stand with Jesus even unto death, but in the end they were not prepared. This can be very motivating and encouraging for those of us who know that we, too, have failed to stand with Christ at times in our lives. We, like the disciples, can seek forgiveness for our mistakes, and re-dedicate ourselves to God, asking the Holy Spirit for help. Look at what the disciples accomplished despite this early failure… after the Holy Spirit was in them (after the death and resurrection of Christ), they all were willing to boldly proclaim Jesus as Lord despite persecution to the point of death. They spread the good news of the gospel very effectively.

We can do that also if we prepare through Bible study and prayer and submission to Jesus… turning away from our past lives of selfishness and sin. Give your life to Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Start (or continue) a bold life of service to Jesus Christ.

For those who have not yet submitted your life to Jesus Christ, learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

For those who have submitted to Christ, but do not know where to begin to practically change your life to one of submission to Him, please review the following teachings:

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Discerning / Judging, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteousness / Serving God, Temptation/Tempting

One of Jesus’ Disciples Plots to Betray Him

Matthew 26 demonstrates the extremes Jesus experienced in terms of loyalty in the last few days before He was turned over to be crucified. Earlier in Matthew 26, a woman honored Jesus by pouring expensive perfume on Him. Jesus was so pleased, that He said, 13“Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” In the next verse we see Judas plotting to betray Him.

Matthew 26:14-19

Judas’s Bargain

      14Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. 16From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.

It is worth noting that Judas spent a lot of time with Jesus. He witnessed many miracles and heard much of Jesus’ teaching personally and directly. He gave the appearance to all except Jesus that he was a loyal follower and disciple. Note that Judas was not even approached by the chief priests… Judas went to them! What a truly hard heart and selfish spirit. Jesus knew He would be betrayed by Judas before Judas ever began to follow Him. He was not surprised. Jesus accepted Judas that long because He knew it was part of God’s plan.

Just because someone is involved in a church or ministry or other good activities does not mean they have a true personal relationship with Jesus. It does not mean they have submitted their lives to Jesus. We should look beyond actions to attitudes when discerning whether or not someone is genuine in their relationship with Jesus. This discernment is very important… who do you trust your children with in the nursery or kids church? who do you listen to as your pastor? what about young men and ladies considering marriage?

Many, when they read this scripture, want to quickly assert that they would never betray Jesus for such a sum of money… or at all. But we should all pause to consider… many believe they will not fail Jesus, but may not really be prepared for the difficulty or persecution they may face if they stand up for Jesus.  Peter thought he would stand with Jesus unto death when Jesus told him that he would deny Him three times? Yet when the time came, Peter denied Jesus.  I am sure also, that Eve did not plan to fail God in the garden, but when the time came, she did so by listening to the serpent.

The situation with Peter and Eve are different from that of Judas. Judas intentionally betrayed Jesus for profit. Peter and Eve failed to stand firm for God when tempted and tested. However, these examples stand as a warning for each of us to avoid being overconfident. If we are overconfident, saying to ourselves, “That will never happen to me”, then we are not, in fact, preparing ourselves for when that situation confronts us. We are more likely to fail if we are not planning ahead how to deal with such a situation.

Have you ever been tempted to steal, perhaps rationalizing that someone’s insurance will cover it or it is only a small item? Have you made business deals or personal deals to make money that compromised the values that Jesus teaches? Have you taken advantage of someone else by lying or deceiving them?

These are real life examples we are faced with in our lives where we either stand for Christ, fail under pressure, or outright betray Him… often for much less than the 30 pieces of silver that Judas received.

Decide ahead of time, now, to stand up for Jesus even when you think it may not matter. Get comfortable representing Him well and being a loyal servant even when you expect to be mocked or persecuted in return. Prepare to behave the way Jesus teaches us, even if it costs you money to do so. Choose to honor God in what you do and in what you fail to do.

If you find that you make a wrong decision, admit to yourself you did wrong, ask forgiveness from Jesus and dedicate yourself to do better next time. God’s grace is wonderful!

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Love, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Salvation

Yes, Jesus Loves Us That Much!

After Jesus finishes His  prophetic response to Peter, James, John and Andrew regarding when the temple in Jerusalem will be destroyed and the signs of Jesus’ return and the end of the age, He again returns to the topic of His impending death. As we studied previously in our teaching, Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection – He Went Willingly, Jesus has made  a point to clearly communicate multiple times to His disciples that He is to die and be resurrected. As the day approaches, He even tells them what day it will occur, during Passover.

Matthew 26:1-13

The Plot to Kill Jesus

      1When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, 2“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”

      3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; 4and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. 5But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.”

Jesus clearly went willingly to His torture and death. God loves us all so much that He became man in the person of Jesus Christ and willingly suffered and died and was resurrected for us…for our sins… all of us. He extends the offer to us, having already paid the price for our sin and wrong choices. All we need to do is accept His offer. (To learn more, study our teaching, The Message of the Cross – Salvation.)

He loved His disciples enough to continually remind them in advance of what was going to happen so they would understand later and recognize the proper perspective that Jesus did so willingly in obedience to God’s plan. He confirmed multiple times what was to happen and then even when it was to happen. God truly loves us that much. The Bible records this history so that even today, thousands of years later, we can be clear that Jesus willingly laid down His life for our sins. He was not tricked or defeated… He volunteered to take our punishment. We deserved to be on the cross, but He went on our behalf.

If someone died saving you from being killed in a tragic accident, such as being run over by a truck… you would tell everyone about it with thanksgiving and praise for that person. You would probably remember and retell it your entire life.

If someone offered us $100 and all we had to do was accept it… and then told us they would offer the same deal to everyone, not matter what they have done wrong in their lives… no matter who they are…  we would take it, thank them, and tell everyone else we knew about this great opportunity.

Why is it that when we hear of this offer for forgiveness of all our past mistakes and reconciliation with God for eternity, we so often keep it to ourselves?

We would tell everyone about the $100 without worrying if we were insulting them by implying they need the money. If we do not feel the same way about telling them what Jesus offers we must consider deeply whether or not we, ourselves, really believe it is true and whether or not we love others enough to help them find Jesus.  Some will reject the message just as some would not believe you about the $100 offer… but some will believe and will come to Jesus.

Rejoice in being a worker in God’s harvest! Do not be “embarrassed” by your love for Jesus but rather be glad in it and share it with everyone!

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Character of God, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Protector / Deliverer, Suffering / Adversity, Thankfulness

After Fervent Prayer, Jacob Proceeds Forth To Meet Esau

We continue with Jacob as he prepares to meet Esau with fear of Esau taking revenge for past deceptions by Jacob. Esau is coming with 400 men to meet Jacob. Jacob has put in place a plan to send representatives and gifts to Esau to find favor with him. Jacob prayed for God to help, wrestling with God and coming out faithful and devoted to serving and obeying God’s instructions regardless of his own personal fear or concern.

Genesis 33:1-20 reveals to us the outcome of Jacob’s obedience to God’s instruction on where Jacob should take his family. We can trust the promises of God and the instructions of God. Esau is not mad and actually offers to turn down the gifts offered by Jacob. Jacob receives a warm welcome. Esau actually offers to escort Jacob or leave men with him to escort him safely.

Jacob Meets Esau

      1Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. 2He put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

      4Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the maids came near with their children, and they bowed down. 7Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down. 8And he said, “What do you mean by all this company which I have met?” And he said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own.” 10Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. 11“Please take my gift which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have plenty.” Thus he urged him and he took it.

      12Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.” 13But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. 14“Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

      15Esau said, “Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth.

Jacob Settles in Shechem

      18Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. 19He bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. 20Then he erected there an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

After all the worry and a tough journey, I am sure Jacob must have felt relieved to find rest. There was no trouble with Esau. I believe that God was involved in that as well as Jacob through prayer and executing a plan to come before Esau humbly. Jacob trusted and obeyed God in faith and grew closer to Him along the way. Now we see Jacob erects an altar and names it El-Elohe-Israel, which means  mighty is the God of Israel. (God changed Jacob’s name to Israel in Genesis 32.) Jacob is taking time to give thanks and honor God for his successful journey away from Laban, through reconciliation with Esau, and leading Jacob and his family to a place of their own to settle peacefully.

Jacob now serves a good example for us in relationship with God. Out of a sinful beginning filled with deception, we continue to see evidence of Jacob’s growing relationship with God. He has come a long way since accepting God as his God on the way to Laban’s, 20 years ago. He continues to grow closer to God. Just accepting God on the way to Laban’s was only a gate, an entry, to a life submitted to God. It was not a one-time decision. He was not done when He accepted God as Lord… he was just getting started.

To follow in Jacob’s example, we must first realize that we are sinners, missing the mark in living for God or often outright rejecting Him all-together. God appeared to Jacob personally but God became man in the person of Jesus Christ, suffered and died for all of all of our sins… yours and mine and everyone else’s. He was resurrected and overcame death. He offers us each an invitation to receive forgiveness and reconciliation with God leading to eternal life. Repent, or turn away from, your sins and change your life to live according to God’s instructions. Ask forgiveness from God and submit to Jesus as Lord of your life. If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord, please do so today! It is urgent. None of us has tomorrow promised to us. Pray with us something like the following:

Pray genuinely with your heart because it is not about the specific words but the condition of the heart and submission to God.

Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I confess that Jesus is Lord. I believe in my heart that you raised Him from the dead. Come into my heart Jesus, and be Lord over my life. Thank you God for saving me.

This is not all there is! Just like we witness in the life of Jacob, this is but the beginning… the doorway. Once you pass through this doorway you submit your whole life to Christ. It requires a combination of Intellect (knowing God), Emotion (loving God and fearing God), and Will (choosing to do His will instead of our own). It is an ongoing decision in our lives that starts us on a journey to know God more intimately and to obey Him more completely. It requires study and prayer and action. It is a journey we never finish in this life, but it transforms us along the way to be more and more like Jesus Christ.

Reach out to others you know have already accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Tell them of your decision to follow Christ. Look to connect with a Christian mentor, local church or group of true Christian believers. Connecting with other Christians and publically declaring your decision to follow Christ can help provide important support from other believers to help you on your journey with Jesus Christ. Remember, many who reject Jesus will try to talk you out of submitting to Him and following Him. Pray God will guide you to and connect you with the fellowship of true brothers and sisters in Christ that will help you to continue your lifelong journey to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ!

We invite you to study the Bible with us daily through our devotions via email, Facebook, Google Plus, or on our website Latest Devotions page.

If you have questions or want to know more, please Contact Us.

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Character of God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love

God Will Not Force Himself On Anyone

14 Comments

After passionately teaching against the hypocrisy and wickedness of the religious leaders, who lead so many of God’s people away from the kingdom of God, Jesus pauses to express His sadness at the path of rejecting God that Jerusalem has chosen.

Matthew 23:37-39

    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!’”

God has great love for His people and a desire to gather them together in His care. However, He will not force Himself on anyone. He grants each of us free will and the ability to accept and submit to God, or to reject Him and live according to our own path. The path of submission to God is filled with joy even in suffering and leads to eternity with God in Heaven. The path of our own desires, of our internal sin nature, the deceptions of Satan… that appears fun and exciting on the surface but can never fill the emptiness inside of each of us that results from being separated from God. This path leads to destruction and eternal separation from God in Hell.

Many will choose the wide path that leads to destruction, and only a few will choose the truly righteous path for it is narrow… but it leads to eternal life with God.

Which path will you choose?

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Share the Good News, Study the Word

HFJ News: Answering Other Religions and Atheism

We are continuing our weekly Friday extra post of “HFJ News” which is intended to introduce our Christian community to different parts of the website that many find useful.  Links are provided for your convenience or you can just visit the site directly at HearingFromJesus.org and look around on your own.

This week we are highlighting the section of our website where we provide some resources we recommend to help you understand the key faults in some religions other than Christianity, including atheism… which people passionately embrace as a religion in itself. These are but a few resources. There are many. But take care as you evaluate more… those written by false prophets or believers of the false teachings will twist holy scripture and deceive with confidence to lead you astray… very much like Satan did to convince Eve to disobey God in the garden of Eden.  Always check who wrote the book and what their main premise is before reading it. Make sure they submit to Jesus Christ.

—-

Answering Other Religions and Atheism

Jesus never instructs us to study and focus on religions other than Christianity . However we are charged with sharing the gospel throughout the world and it can be helpful to have some background on what other faiths believe and where they break down. Some knowledge in this area is helpful to effectively sharing the gospel.

For those who have not studied and developed a solid foundation in Christianity, it is best to focus on that first. If you are not mature, confident, and learned in Christianity and you study other religions and engage passionate practitioners of those religions to bring them to Christianity you may well fall prey to deception and seed doubts as to your faith.  Focus first on learning Christianity.

Answering Agnostics

  • Josh McDowell MinistriesAs a young man, Josh McDowell considered himself an agnostic. He truly believed that Christianity was worthless. However, when challenged to intellectually examine the claims of Christianity, Josh discovered compelling, overwhelming evidence for the reliability of the Christian faith. Associated website at Josh.org.

Answering Atheists

  • Stealing From God: Why Atheists Need God To Make Their Case by Frank Turek shows how many atheistic arguments, instead of disproving God, reveal that He actually exists. Associated website at CrossExamined.org.

Answering World Religions

  • The Facts on World Religions (Facts On Series) by John Ankerberg, John Weldon, & Dillon Burroughs) delivers informed viewpoints, insightful arguments, and a scripture-based Christian perspective on issues that impact our world.  The series also includes other books like The Facts on Islam, The Facts on the Mormon Church, and The Facts on Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Answering Islam

  • Answering-Islam.org provides a Christian Muslim dialog
  • Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, by Nabeel Qureshi, describes a dramatic journey from Islam to Christianity including the friendships, experiences and investigation that led to conversion. Associated website at NabeelQureshi.com.

—-

May the grace and peace of our lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Note: HFJ News posts are always supplemental and never replace our daily devotions, so please be sure to look for your daily devotion from Hearing From Jesus (HFJ) as well.

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Blessed, Character of God, Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Righteousness / Serving God

Jacob Wrestles with God

We continue with Jacob as he and his family are following God’s direction to return home. He fears a hostile greeting from his brother, Esau. Jacob has already come before God in prayer, reminding himself of God’s promises to prosper him. He has come thankfully and humbly to God earlier in Genesis 32 asking for protection from Esau as he continues to follow God’s instruction. Jacob has further developed and put into motion a plan to appease Esau by sending him gifts and servants ahead of his meeting with Jacob. As we continue in Genesis 32:24-32, we see Jacob wrestling with God .

    24Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” 29Then Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. 30So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.” 31Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh. 32Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.

Based on the injury to Jacob this wrestling may have been a physical encounter, but we can say with confidence that it has spiritual significance. Jacob was wrestling with God… agonizing in prayer throughout the night as he sought God’s blessing. If it were just about a physical wrestling match, God would have beaten Jacob quite handily if that had been His desire. It would not be a contest.

Jacob is not wrestling with God in rebellion. He has just demonstrated obedience and faith in God by following God’s instructions even when returning home made Jacob fearful. In fact, Jacob is wrestling with God seeking His blessing. He is desperate to be assured of God’s blessing. Without it he feels afraid and helpless against Esau. Jacob is desperately depending on God as he follows God’s directions in his life.

God does not rebuke Jacob, but rather the new name He bestows upon him actually honors Jacob’s persistence. Jacob received his name at birth because he “…came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel” [Genesis 25:26]. This turns out to be a good indicator of Jacob’s life before submitting to God…always plotting and scheming to get ahead, even within his own family. Now Jacob receives a new name, more representative of his personal growth in relationship and submission to God.

28He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”

I believe the only way we prevail when struggling with God and men is by obeying God and doing as He instructs… by trusting God above all men or situations we face. This was not just a struggle representing a single decision for Jacob, but rather the culmination of his turning away from his prior life of deception and submitting his life to obey God over many years. God granting Jacob a new name is essentially an outward representation that Jacob has died to his old self and been reborn in a life of submission to God.

The injury appears to serve as a physical reminder for Jacob and for generations of Israelites that followed to remember this change within Jacob’s life.

When I read this scripture, I can identify very much with the idea of wrestling between my own sin nature which wants to believe Satan’s lies and deception, and my desire to obey and live for God. I pray that in wrestling with God, I am persistent in seeking His blessing and direction for my life but never wrestling with Him out of disobedience or rebellion. I pray that I prevail over the ways of men and live fully submitted to God having been reborn in the name of Jesus Christ.

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2