Category Archives: Character of God

Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Hearing from God, Interceding for Others, Righteousness / Serving God, Wickedness / Evil

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

Genesis 18:16-33 gives us keen insight into the character of God and the relationship we can have with Him as His servants.

16 Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.

17 “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked. 18 “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”

20 So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. 21 I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”

22 The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. 23 Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? 24 Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? 25 Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

26 And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”

27 Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”

And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there.”

29 Then Abraham pressed his request further. “Suppose there are only forty?”

And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty.”

30 “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”

And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”

31 Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?”

And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

32 Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?”

And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

33 When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.

Abraham intercedes on behalf of the city of Sodom, in particular on behalf of the righteous people who may live in the city of Sodom. Likely he was thinking about his own family through Lot that lived there, but may have genuinely been interceding for others as well. Despite a healthy fear and respect for God, and recognizing that God is about to unleash righteous wrath on Sodom, Abraham takes courage to intercede for others in a way that respects God but still asks for mercy on behalf of His righteous people.

How gracious of our all powerful God to allow those who serve Him to personally talk with Him… to discuss things. He listens to His righteous servants. In this case, it would seem He listens with great patience… as a father listening to questions from a son he loves.

We also see that God is not only love but also righteousness and judgment. We know from later in scripture that God destroys Sodom. How sad that He could not find 10 righteous  people in that sinful city.  The judgment God put in place for those sinful people was just. He does, however, provides an opportunity for Lot and his family to leave Sodom  before it is destroyed.

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Fasting, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables

Do Not Put New Wine In Old Wineskins

Jesus teaches in Matthew 9:14-17 about the need to accept the good news of the gospel He brings, without holding on to the religious rituals that the people had gotten used to under leadership of the Pharisees. The new covenant builds on the foundation of the old covenant, and leads people away from onerous man-made rules. Instead, we are called to accept Jesus as lord and savior and follow Him… to accept His offer of salvation through grace.

14 One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast[f] like we do and the Pharisees do?”

15 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

16 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

When you accept Jesus Christ, you must leave man-made rules and requirements behind. It is not only the Pharisees long ago, but even many churches today that have created and maintain extra rules beyond what God commands. In some cases they are the basis for different denominations of faith in Jesus Christ.

You can not accept the grace of Jesus Christ and then require yourself to execute a bunch of rules made by men. It does not work… like putting new wine in old wineskins will burst the wineskins.

Focus on knowing the will of God and following Jesus Christ. When you serve and follow Christ it absolutely changes your behavior and attitude and you become more like Him and less like the world.

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Hypocrisy, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin, Share the Good News

Bring the Good News to Sinners

Jesus clearly reminds us in Matthew 9:9-13 that we are to bring the good news of the gospel to sinners. To do so requires that we interact with sinners. However that does not mean we need to endorse their sin or sin with them. On the contrary, we show them by our behavior and teach them with our words the truth of God’s word.

9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?[d]”

12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’[e] For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Matthew must clearly have known already who Jesus was or he would not have immediately dropped everything and followed Jesus. Matthew also must have known that he was a sinner and not worthy to serve a holy servant of God. Imagine his delight to receive the invitation. He leapt at the chance, leaving everything else behind.

Jesus extends that same invitation to us today. Will we sit in place, remaining in our sin? or jump up to leave sin behind, change our behaviors, and follow Jesus Christ?

There is a message here also for those who feel they are no longer sinners… that they have overcome sin… you have not. Maintain humility and submit to God. Continue on your journey to grow closer to Him. Remember, as soon as you believe you have “arrived”, that is as far as you will ever go.

As we follow Jesus, we are called to bring as many sinners with us as possible. Do not exclude anyone. We follow God’s example… we tell them the truth, allow them the choice to follow Jesus. They are responsible for making the decision to accept the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ. We cannot accept Jesus for them or force them to accept Him.

As a final word of caution as you evangelize… do not miss the example Jesus provides in distinguishing between His inner circle of disciples and those who are openly sinful. His close friends are those who are receptive to the message of the gospel and seeking God. He goes with them to visit with and share the gospel with open sinners who do not yet know God. It is a dangerous trap for someone to try to persuade open sinners to follow God by making them very close friends… you risk instead being influenced away from God.

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Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Jesus is Not a Prophet; He is God

I am surprised by people who claim that Jesus was a good man or prophet of God, but not God Himself. There are many scriptures in the Old Testament that prophecy and point forward to Jesus Christ. In the New Testament there are many references where Jesus claims to be God.  One such scripture is Matthew 9:1-7.

9 Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. 2 Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”

3 But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?”

4 Jesus knew[a] what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man[b] has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

7 And the man jumped up and went home! 8 Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority.[c]

One must accept Jesus Christ as God Himself, a madman, or a liar. There is no middle ground of “good man” or “prophet of God”.  For those of us who have eyes to see and ears to hear… we know Jesus as God.

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Am I on the path?, Demons, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteousness / Serving God

Jesus Casts Out Demons

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In Matthew 8:28-33, Jesus casts out demons from two violent men. We gain some insight into the relationship of Jesus, demons, and the people.

28 When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes,[g] two men who were possessed by demons met him. They lived in a cemetery and were so violent that no one could go through that area.

29 They began screaming at him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?”

30 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. 31 So the demons begged, “If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”

32 “All right, go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

33 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone.

A few observations to highlight:

  • Jesus wants to help even violent men whom others have given up on. Jesus, as son of God, has no fear of the two men in the cemetery.
  • The demons not only believe in Jesus, but they also recognize Him as son of God, when many religious people do not. However, they do not follow or serve Him. If we tell ourselves we “believe in” Jesus, or “know” Jesus… that puts us in the same relationship with Him as demons. The better question is “Do we follow and serve Jesus?”
  •  The demons recognize that Jesus has power over them. They know they can not win over Him. They simply ask why He is coming before the appointed time to torture them, presumably to cast them into Hell.
  • Jesus is not there to change the appointed time for the demons to be destroyed, just to help the men and demonstrate the power of God.  He casts the demons into the herd of swine at their request.
  • The immediate and dramatic change in the behavior of both the men and the pigs demonstrates a conclusive picture for those who witnessed it of the real existence of demons. They exist to destroy,  but are constrained by God to within certain boundaries.
  •  The herdsman fled and told everyone what happened to the demon possessed men. Instead of celebrating or worshipping Jesus, they asked Him to leave. How sad for people to clearly see the power of almighty God and have a response to push it away.

Reflect on these points and others in the scripture. How can you apply them to your life today?

Are you celebrating the power of God in your life? or pushing it away?

Do you “know” and “believe in” Jesus? or do you serve and follow Him? Can others tell? How does your life reflect this by being different from those around you who do not serve Jesus?

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Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God

The Cost of Following Jesus

Jesus reminds us Matthew 8:18-22 that to be His followers we must leave behind many things that are be important to us.  He must come first… before anything else.

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man[e] has no place even to lay his head.” 21 Another of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.[f]”

When we put Jesus first, even ahead of our own family, He shows us how to take care everything else. The relationships and things that honor God and are consistent with His word will still fit and have the correct priority. The relationships or things that are inconsistent with God’s word must be left behind and quickly.

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Bitterness / Resentment, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Miracles

Bitterness Hurts the One Who Holds It

Bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness can be real obstacles to healing relationships or just healing in your own life after feeling hurt by others. Even if the person who hurt you does not repent and you never reconcile, holding bitterness and resentment is not helpful. Release it to God and move on with your life.

[Matthew 6:14-15] 14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

[Romans 12:14-19]

14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge;
    I will pay them back,”[a]
    says the Lord.

[Hebrew 12:14-15] 14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

Remember that holding bitterness and resentment in your heart continues to hurt you and impede your healing process. It is like holding a hot pot without a handle… it hurts the one who holds it.

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Am I on the path?, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteousness / Serving God

Not All Who Call Jesus’ Name Will Enter Heaven

Jesus speaks a strong warning to each of us in Matthew 7:21-23.

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

There are far too many who even identify as Christians that have not truly accepted Jesus Christ in their hearts. They accept Him in name, perhaps go to church, maybe volunteer and even do good works. However, only those who actually do the will of God will enter heaven.

If you identify with Christ, I encourage you to spend time studying His word and changing your behaviors to become more like Him and less like the world. It is a hard road, as it was for Jesus. It is not typically a comfortable walk from a worldly perspective but when we walk with the Lord we can find joy in living as He commands.

Want to evaluate if you are “on the path” to heaven?  The Bible provides the answers. You may start by reviewing devotions from the category “Am I On The Path?” on our website home page. (On the  sidebar for computer users and by scrolling down on home page on mobile devices).

Understanding your eternal destination while you still have time to make corrections is important… make time for it.

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Am I on the path?, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Righteousness / Serving God

The Door is Wide and the Road is Easy That Leads to Hell

Jesus provides a strong wake up call for us as His followers to expect to be different and make different choices than what is typical or popular. We are called to put God first not just in words but in our hearts and actions.

[Matthew 7:13-14] 13 “Go in through the narrow door. The door is wide and the road is easy that leads to hell. Many people are going through that door. 14 But the door is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life that lasts forever. Few people are finding it.

Jesus warns us directly to go on the “road less traveled” that represents following Him. It is a hard path, one where many will mock you for your faith. It is a path where you are doing things differently than most of those around you. You seek to serve God rather than yourself.  You make choices that are “unpopular” with people but honor God. You are willing to be a leader for those around you and a follower, submitting to Jesus Christ. You do not seek to do the bare minimum required by God to just “get in” to heaven, but rather rejoice in pleasing the Lord by living according to His word.

The road to hell… that is easy. Just follow the crowds or your own internal sin nature. It looks fun and easy. Many will agree with your choices. You blend in with the world and those around you. Few mock you for your faith… they don’t notice it.

Just because some acknowledge Jesus Christ with their lips, call themselves Christians, or go to church once a week does not mean they will come to heaven and rejoice eternally in the presence of Jesus Christ.

[Matthew 7:22-23] 22 Many people will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not preach in Your Name? Did we not put out demons in Your Name? Did we not do many powerful works in Your Name?’ 23 Then I will say to them in plain words, ‘I never knew you. Go away from Me, you who do wrong!’

Of course, for those of us who are trying to find and stay on the narrow path, we want to bring as many people as we can with us… so we must at times endure mocking to share the good news of the gospel with those who would receive it.

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Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Prayer

Praying for Others

At times Christians feel a desire to intercede in prayer on someone else’s behalf.  There are multiple examples in the Bible of intercessory prayer from godly leaders. When we intercede, we do not come before God asking for worldly desires to be met, but rather we pray according to the character and word of God for those for whom we are interceding.

In Genesis 18:16-33, God reveals His plans for the destruction of  Sodom as judgment for their unrepentant sin. Abraham intercedes humbly before God on behalf of the righteous people that may live amongst the wicked in Sodom.

In Exodus 32:9-14, when God tells Moses that He will destroy the Israelite people for their blatant idolatry, Moses intercedes for the people. Moses changes God’s mind on this decision by highlighting  how their destruction may impede others from following God. He does not appeal to God in such a way as to say the punishment is inappropriate or harsh or undeserved… because Moses knows the punishment would be just.

Continuing to Exodus 32:30-35, Moses actually intercedes again asking forgiveness of the people’s sin, even at the expense of removing his own name from God’s record. In this case God decides instead to justly erase the names of those who sinned against Him and not to erase Moses’ name. The people were each held accountable for their own sins.

Of course the most obvious example of intercession on behalf of others is Jesus Christ Himself. He took our sins on the cross and died for us. He has interceded on our behalf such that our sins would be forgiven… for those of us who accept His gracious offer. Even as He was dying on the cross He was interceding… asking for God to forgive even those who were persecuting them.

34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” [Luke 23:34]

We should strive to listen closely to the Holy Spirit as well as look for guidance in the written word in regards to humbly interceding on someone’s behalf before our holy God.  We may not get what we ask for, but God will listen to a righteous prayer from a righteous servant.

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