Category Archives: Father / Yahweh

Father / Yahweh, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loneliness, Peace / Rest

We Need Not Be Alone. His Invitation Is Open.

We may all feel alone at times, but we do not need to be alone. Life is hard, it is harder yet if we go it alone. Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus) invites us to come to Him. If we do, and we take on His yoke rather than our own, than we will find rest for our souls.

Matthew 11:28-30

      28“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Let us consider what a yoke is in terms of the metaphor being used. A yoke connects two oxen so that they pull together to share a load. This does not mean that we take a burden for Jesus and pull it because “it is the right thing to do”. We already have a burden in dealing with the struggles and trials of this life and if we put on His yoke, Jesus will help us with our burden. He is the “big ox” pulling the load. We are clearly the weaker ox sharing the load.  As long as we pull in the same direction as He does, rather than fight Him to pull in our own direction, we find rest for our souls.

Notice, this is not about physical rest. Life is difficult. This is about soul rest. We find peace and rest knowing that God’s ways are best and choosing to follow them. God will help us. We can cease striving to please everyone who has an opinion regarding our lives and focus on pleasing and obeying God in our lives. With God, we need never be alone.

Choose to seek and submit to Jehovah. Jesus shows us the way to the Father. The Spirit helps us in our daily lives as believers and followers of Christ. I pray daily to the Father to help me in this regard and encourage each of you to do the same.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Father / Yahweh, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loneliness, Loving / Kind, Peace / Rest, Persecution / Glorifying God

Peace Through Adversity

The storms of life will come. Trials and difficulties abound even for followers of Christ. We get no free pass. In fact, often the world will seek to persecute us for our decision to publically and boldly follow Christ rather than conforming to paganism and ungodliness of the world.

From where then do we find peace? It will not be from the absence of conflict and adversity in this world. Indeed not. Let us look to how Jesus chose to comfort and prepare His disciples before He was crucified so that they would find peace even through a very difficult time.

  1. Jesus manages expectations for the disciples. He prepares them by warning them that they will be outcasts even from the established religious institution of the day. Even people who think they are following God will persecute them.
  2. Jesus tells them to anticipate a Helper in the Holy Spirit to come to them after Jesus is gone.
  3. He warns them that He will die, but that He will then come back again. He foretells even the joy they will have when they see Him again.
  4. He reassures them that the Father will answer their righteous prayers.

We too know that we will face trials and tribulations in this world. We too can look to the Holy Spirit as a Helper. We can look forward knowing that we will see Jesus again, once we leave this world. The Father is with us and will answer prayers. All of these key elements are still available to us today to help us through difficult times!

John 16

Jesus’ Warning

     1“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. 2“They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. 3“These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. 4“But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

The Holy Spirit Promised

     5“But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6“But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

      12“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14“He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15“All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Foretold

     16“A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” 17Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this thing He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” 18So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” 19Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20“Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. 21“Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. 22“Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

Prayer Promises

     23“In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. 24“Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

      25“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26“In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. 28“I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”

      29His disciples said, “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. 30“Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.” 31Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32“Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Reflect on the promises of God to His people. What a gracious and loving God! He provides more than we deserve! Though we have tribulation in the world, we may celebrate and find peace in knowing that He has already overcome the world.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Father / Yahweh, Holy / Set Apart, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Worldliness

Walk in the Light Rather Than the Darkness

When we walk in light we see things as they really are. Light also represents truth and goodness, even God Himself, whereas darkness represents evil and sin.  Let us not fool ourselves by convincing ourselves we are free of sin on our own achievement. Only through Christ can we be deemed righteous as we are cleansed by His blood shed for us.  We can not walk in sin and darkness and yet claim fellowship with Him.

John 3:16

19“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

1 John 1:5-10

God Is Light

     5This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

Let us see clearly. We have a sin problem… yes all of us. We can not overcome it on our own. We can not live in close fellowship with the Father while living in disobedience and rebellion… in sin. We must turn from our sinful ways, ask forgiveness, and accept Jesus as Lord knowing that He died for our sins and rose again. If we claim that we are in fellowship with the Father, and yet our actions and attitudes reflect sin and disobedience from His word… the truth is not in us.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Father / Yahweh, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy / Set Apart, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

Coming Clean Before Approaching Jehovah

There is quite a bit of detail in scripture regarding ceremonial cleanness or uncleanness. Jehovah wanted man to separate what is holy from what is not and to be ceremonial clean when approaching Him. I am still studying and praying for understanding on how some of this material applies to us today. I am not convinced we are still to follow the literal application of ceremonial law in terms of coming clean before approaching our Father. I believe instead that we should focus on coming clean from sin, which defiles us and separates us from our Father.  There is strong parallel between the uncleanness laid out in Leviticus and how sin defiles us and also parallels in the need to come clean from sin as we wish to approach our Father.

Fortunately, we don’t need to be perfect, in absence of all sin, to approach our Father. Rather, we need to submit to Him, ask forgiveness, turn from our sin and accept the grace of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Jesus’s death on the cross was sufficient to cover our sins.

Leviticus 15

Cleansing Unhealthiness

     1The LORD also spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. 3‘This, moreover, shall be his uncleanness in his discharge: it is his uncleanness whether his body allows its discharge to flow or whether his body obstructs its discharge. 4‘Every bed on which the person with the discharge lies becomes unclean, and everything on which he sits becomes unclean. 5‘Anyone, moreover, who touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening; 6and whoever sits on the thing on which the man with the discharge has been sitting, shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 7‘Also whoever touches the person with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 8‘Or if the man with the discharge spits on one who is clean, he too shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 9‘Every saddle on which the person with the discharge rides becomes unclean. 10‘Whoever then touches any of the things which were under him shall be unclean until evening, and he who carries them shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 11‘Likewise, whomever the one with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 12‘However, an earthenware vessel which the person with the discharge touches shall be broken, and every wooden vessel shall be rinsed in water.

      13‘Now when the man with the discharge becomes cleansed from his discharge, then he shall count off for himself seven days for his cleansing; he shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water and will become clean. 14‘Then on the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD to the doorway of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest; 15and the priest shall offer them, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD because of his discharge.

      16‘Now if a man has a seminal emission, he shall bathe all his body in water and be unclean until evening. 17‘As for any garment or any leather on which there is seminal emission, it shall be washed with water and be unclean until evening. 18‘If a man lies with a woman so that there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening.

      19‘When a woman has a discharge, if her discharge in her body is blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. 20‘Everything also on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean, and everything on which she sits shall be unclean. 21‘Anyone who touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 22‘Whoever touches any thing on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 23‘Whether it be on the bed or on the thing on which she is sitting, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. 24‘If a man actually lies with her so that her menstrual impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.

      25‘Now if a woman has a discharge of her blood many days, not at the period of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond that period, all the days of her impure discharge she shall continue as though in her menstrual impurity; she is unclean. 26‘Any bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her like her bed at menstruation; and every thing on which she sits shall be unclean, like her uncleanness at that time. 27‘Likewise, whoever touches them shall be unclean and shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 28‘When she becomes clean from her discharge, she shall count off for herself seven days; and afterward she will be clean. 29‘Then on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them in to the priest, to the doorway of the tent of meeting. 30‘The priest shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement on her behalf before the LORD because of her impure discharge.’

      31“Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, so that they will not die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them.” 32This is the law for the one with a discharge, and for the man who has a seminal emission so that he is unclean by it, 33and for the woman who is ill because of menstrual impurity, and for the one who has a discharge, whether a male or a female, or a man who lies with an unclean woman.

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Have you allowed Him to cleanse your sin so you may approach the Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Father / Yahweh, Loving / Kind, Peace / Rest, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Thankfulness, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Praise For Jehovah’s Mighty Deeds and Answer to Prayer

How often do you take time to stop from your busy life and sing praises to the Father? to shout joyfully to tell others what He has done for His people, and more specifically, for you personally? to thank Him?

Take some time today and praise Him for His mighty deeds. Thank Him for what He does in your life and the lives of other brothers and sisters in Christ. He truly defines “awesome”. We do well to reflect on that more often.

Psalms 66

     1Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;

      2Sing the glory of His name;
Make His praise glorious.

      3Say to God, “How awesome are Your works!
Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You.

      4“All the earth will worship You,
And will sing praises to You;
They will sing praises to Your name.”

Selah.

      5Come and see the works of God,
Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men.

      6He turned the sea into dry land;
They passed through the river on foot;
There let us rejoice in Him!

      7He rules by His might forever;
His eyes keep watch on the nations;
Let not the rebellious exalt themselves.

Selah.

      8Bless our God, O peoples,
And sound His praise abroad,

      9Who keeps us in life
And does not allow our feet to slip.

      10For You have tried us, O God;
You have refined us as silver is refined.

      11You brought us into the net;
You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins.

      12You made men ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water,
Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.

      13I shall come into Your house with burnt offerings;
I shall pay You my vows,

      14Which my lips uttered
And my mouth spoke when I was in distress.

      15I shall offer to You burnt offerings of fat beasts,
With the smoke of rams;
I shall make an offering of bulls with male goats.

Selah.

      16Come and hear, all who fear God,
And I will tell of what He has done for my soul.

      17I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was extolled with my tongue.

      18If I regard wickedness in my heart,
The Lord will not hear;

      19But certainly God has heard;
He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.

      20Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer
Nor His lovingkindness from me.

Let us take care not to skip over some key verses toward the end. We should indeed fear God. If we regard wickedness in our heart, He will not hear. Let us celebrate His lovingkindness.

Praise the Lord for all His works! Praise Him for the love He shows each of us as His children!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Discipline / Correction, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Father / Yahweh, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy, Justice / Judgment, Miracles, Obeying God, Seeking God, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

His Way… Not Our Own

Imagine the scene at hand. God has just manifested Himself to the congregation of Israelites. The holy ceremony to launch the priesthood was just completed. People were still celebrating. All had been carefully done how the Lord commanded.

Then two of the priests just seem to completely disregard all that God said about how to approach Him and serve Him. Nadab and Abihu take their own utensils instead of those set aside to be holy and used at the temple. They offered incense together where God said only one at a time should do so. They encroached on the function of the high priest, who alone was to offer burnt incense. They offered incense at the wrong time, neither part of the morning or evening sacrifice. They seemed unable to even honor God for a little while but rather immediately launched into disobedience after having been invited to serve in high honor as priest.

This was more than a simple mistake, they disregarded almost all that had just been instructed. They insisted on doing their own thing. Disobedience has serious consequences with the Lord, especially for those who have been set aside to be holy and know better.

Leviticus 10:1-7

The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

      1Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.

3Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the LORD spoke, saying,
‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy,
And before all the people I will be honored.’”
So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.

      4Moses called also to Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come forward, carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to the outside of the camp.” 5So they came forward and carried them still in their tunics to the outside of the camp, as Moses had said. 6Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, so that you will not die and that He will not become wrathful against all the congregation. But your kinsmen, the whole house of Israel, shall bewail the burning which the LORD has brought about. 7“You shall not even go out from the doorway of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for the LORD’S anointing oil is upon you.” So they did according to the word of Moses.

Disobedience is serious business once God has made clear to us what we ought to do and how we ought to do it. More so for those who have been selected to be set aside for His purposes and have seen His very presence in the camp among them.

Seek genuinely to learn the ways of the Lord and obey. Let go of doing things your own way and pursue His way and you will do well in the presence of the Lord.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God

To Be Holy and Set Apart for the Father

To set apart your life and purpose to the service of Jehovah is a big deal. All followers are called to do this … to lay down their wants and desires and sinful temptations and to instead follow the ways of Christ. Less of us, more of Him.

John 3:30

30“He must increase, but I must decrease.

In Leviticus, we see how significant an event it was for Aaron and his sons to be consecrated in order to serve Jehovah. The Father was very detailed in the steps to be carried out. There is rich symbolism we can explore, but there are two areas in particular I want to highlight that we can all apply in our lives today.

Those set aside for the service of the Father were anything but a secret. Their consecration was not subtle. They assembled the congregation of believers. Their dedication to the Father was public, no matter what others may think about it. Second… count how many times in this scripture we are told that the instructions of Jehovah were obeyed. I count at least six times. If we are to be holy and set apart for God, we must be obedient.

Leviticus 8

The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

      1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread, 3and assemble all the congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” 4So Moses did just as the LORD commanded him. When the congregation was assembled at the doorway of the tent of meeting, 5Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded to do.”

      6Then Moses had Aaron and his sons come near and washed them with water. 7He put the tunic on him and girded him with the sash, and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him; and he girded him with the artistic band of the ephod, with which he tied it to him. 8He then placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. 9He also placed the turban on his head, and on the turban, at its front, he placed the golden plate, the holy crown, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      10Moses then took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. 11He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. 12Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him. 13Next Moses had Aaron’s sons come near and clothed them with tunics, and girded them with sashes and bound caps on them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      14Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. 15Next Moses slaughtered it and took the blood and with his finger put some of it around on the horns of the altar, and purified the altar. Then he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it, to make atonement for it. 16He also took all the fat that was on the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat; and Moses offered it up in smoke on the altar. 17But the bull and its hide and its flesh and its refuse he burned in the fire outside the camp, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      18Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19Moses slaughtered it and sprinkled the blood around on the altar. 20When he had cut the ram into its pieces, Moses offered up the head and the pieces and the suet in smoke. 21After he had washed the entrails and the legs with water, Moses offered up the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      22Then he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23Moses slaughtered it and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24He also had Aaron’s sons come near; and Moses put some of the blood on the lobe of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. Moses then sprinkled the rest of the blood around on the altar. 25He took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the entrails, and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. 26From the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake and one cake of bread mixed with oil and one wafer, and placed them on the portions of fat and on the right thigh. 27He then put all these on the hands of Aaron and on the hands of his sons and presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. 28Then Moses took them from their hands and offered them up in smoke on the altar with the burnt offering. They were an ordination offering for a soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the LORD. 29Moses also took the breast and presented it for a wave offering before the LORD; it was Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

      30So Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

      31Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, “Boil the flesh at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and eat it there together with the bread which is in the basket of the ordination offering, just as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’ 32“The remainder of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn in the fire. 33“You shall not go outside the doorway of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the day that the period of your ordination is fulfilled; for he will ordain you through seven days. 34“The LORD has commanded to do as has been done this day, to make atonement on your behalf. 35“At the doorway of the tent of meeting, moreover, you shall remain day and night for seven days and keep the charge of the LORD, so that you will not die, for so I have been commanded.” 36Thus Aaron and his sons did all the things which the LORD had commanded through Moses.

Each of us as followers of Christ should not be shy about our dedication to the Lord. It should be public and obvious as part of our lives rather than a secret. Obedience is a must, even if we don’t always understand why He asks us to do something or do it a certain way. To be holy is to be set apart to live our lives according to His purposes and ways rather than our own or those of the world.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Eternal, Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Fear / Reverence for God, Guide, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Hope, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Peace / Rest, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

It’s Not About Us or the Physical Things Around Us… It’s About Him

Each of us who choose to follow Jesus as Lord, must submit our lives and ministry to the Father as He did. Let our witness not be about ourselves, but rather let it be about Him. We are imperfect and perishable. He is perfect and eternal.  When we submit to Him we seek to be transformed by the Holy Spirit so that we are no longer of the world but rather reborn in the spirit.

2 Corinthians 4

Paul’s Apostolic Ministry

      1Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, 2but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

      7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12So death works in us, but life in you.

      13But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, 14knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. 15For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

      16Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Put not your trust in your own health of body and mind, but only in Jehovah Himself.  As we share the gospel, let us not make the focal point to be about us or our ministry or our witness.  Do not anchor your faith in the things of this physical world we live in for it is only temporary. It is only the things which are not seen which are eternal. Let our lives bear witness of Christ by leading others to Him.

All Knowing, Controlling Thoughts, Father / Yahweh, Fear / Reverence for God, Free Will, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Self Control

Thoughts and Motivations Matter

It is not only our actions that matter, but our thoughts and motivations as well. Jehovah always knows our intentions. We can not, and should not hide them from Him. We should just be open and honest with Him and ask for help where we need it. He cannot be fooled as people can.

Hebrews 4:12-13

12For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

Our Father wants our heart, soul, mind and strength. That is why He gave us free will instead of just forcing us to do everything His way as if we were robots to be programmed. Will you give yourself to Him fully?

Mark 12:28-30

   28One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, False Prophets / Teachers, Father / Yahweh, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy / Set Apart, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Worldliness

Do Not Love the World

The physical world is all around us. It is what we see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. It shouts to get our attention. All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father… but is from the world. All of these will pass away.

Followers of Christ are called to turn away from worldliness and turn toward the behaviors and attitudes of Christ… of the Father. Setting ourselves apart for the purposes of God is making ourselves holy.  Those who do the will of God live forever. It is about more than saying we believe in Him. If we truly believe in Him, then our behaviors and attitudes will show it.  It is a life of self control, discipline, and submission leading to joy and peace and eternal life.

1 John 2:15-24

Do Not Love the World

      15Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

      18Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. 20But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

The scripture is very clear on this subject… those that deny Christ are called antichrist. Denying Christ is serious rejection of the Father as well for they are one.  We can not fool the Father by saying we accept Christ and going to church, but not changing our lives to turn away from worldliness and turn toward holiness. We must actually submit our hearts and minds and lives to Him fully. Our life will change as a reflection of that submission. We will not make it perfectly, but He will help us. We walk with Him through this life and He helps us through the Holy Spirit, who dwells inside believers.

Ask the Father to reveal to you areas in your life in which you still “love the world” and have not submitted to Him. Ask Him for help to change and draw nearer to Him. Fight the urge to just assume you have it all worked out just perfectly and everything is comfortable for you “as is”. All of us do well to draw nearer to the Father and to continue addressing areas of sin and lack of submission in our lives.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.