Category Archives: Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Bad Habits, Children, Consequences of Sin, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteousness / Serving God, Selfishness

Reject Sin In Your Life, No Matter How “Small”

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Many of us who follow Jesus can easily recognize some obvious sin in our lives or the lives of others. We may even aggressively work to change some elements of our lives. However, Satan tempts Christians to accept some sin and leads us into rationalizing it.  To follow Jesus we must continually look to His word and the Holy Spirit to identify and then help us eliminate all sin from our lives. Though we will never fully eliminate all sin, we should not accept any.

[Psalm 119:9-11] 9 How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. 10 I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

[Luke 9:23-25] 23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

[Romans 6:10-14] 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live;[a] do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

A few examples of sin we may be tempted to rationalize… there are many…

  • Someone who does not have much money and likes to shop or spend money carelessly may say “shopping is my hobby” or “It helps me relax”.
  • Someone who reacts with harsh and angry words, easily upset, may say to themselves “I am just hot-tempered.”
  • Someone who is overweight may just accept poor eating habits or lack of exercise saying they “have a slow metabolism”… to the detriment of their own health.
  • Someone who is selfish may accept and acknowledge it, even when it affects others around them negatively, and rationalize that it is ok or that they “deserve” whatever time, attention, or thing is in question… often putting themselves first.
  • Someone who is drawn to sexual sin outside marriage may rationalize that “I am not hurting anyone” or “we are consenting adults” or “I do not commit adultery because I and the other person are not married”.
  • Someone in a difficult marriage may convince themselves it is ok to be mad and harsh toward their spouse because their spouse is harsh toward them.

Don’t accept sin in your life. Don’t let Satan or the world tell you it is ok. Change your behaviors and thoughts to honor God. Even something you consider to be “just a bad habit” is still, by definition, bad. Do not accept it. Instead, overcome it through Christ Jesus.

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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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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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How do I get started?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Salvation

ABC’s of Salvation

On a recent trip through a store selling groceries and household items I was handed a blue card by someone as I walked by the aisles near the front of the store. After reading the card, I was delighted to see that it was a Christian outreach from a local church. I thought they captured a good overview of salvation in a few words and felt it would be good to share more broadly.

ABC’s of Salvation

Acknowledge – that we are born sinners into this world and that we can’t save ourselves.

Believe – that Jesus Christ died for your sins, and by accepting Him as Lord, you can become a born again Christian.

Confess – Romans 10:9 which says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Prayer of Salvation is not about specific words but the heart. A prayer of salvation may sound something like this…

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.

I will add here that when you truly accept Jesus as Lord of your life, it is more than words or a one time profession of faith. It is more than going to church once a week and saying you are a Christian. Your behaviors and values change to be more like Jesus.  You want to study His word to learn more about His character, what He wants from His people, and how He interacts with His people.

Someone who accepts Jesus as lord of their life learns over time to be less concerned about the opinions of the world and more concerned about the truth of God’s word.  It is a wonderful experience that starts us on a journey of transformation to become more like Jesus Christ and less like our old sinful nature. People cannot help but notice true Christians living joyfully for God in their daily life, even during difficult times.

If you find yourself blending in with the world so much that nobody notices you are different as a Christian… you  should prayerfully consider if you are really living for Christ.

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False Prophets / Teachers, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Share the Good News

What if Teaching Scripture Offends People?

In John 6:35-68, Jesus teaches truth, even when it is hard. He never compromises the message of scripture just to make people feel more comfortable. People may choose to leave if they refuse to accept God’s word or it offends them, but if we refuse to teach the truth of God’s word then there is no purpose to anyone staying to listen. They may as well listen to the message of the world.

35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. 37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. 38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. 39 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

41 Then the people[h] began to murmur in disagreement because he had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

43 But Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said. 44 For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. 45 As it is written in the Scriptures,[i] ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.)

47 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

52 Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.

53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”

59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

60 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”

61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.[j]”

Simon Peter replied with both simplicity and great wisdom. Once we know that Jesus is the Holy One of God, then we should not reject His hard teaching, but seek to understand it. To whom else will we go?

Sadly, many churches choose not to teach the full gospel or change it to avoid offending their flock with hard teaching.  Leaders may even rationalize that it is for the good of their flock, to keep them in church and not have them leave. Some just want to fill the seats and get donations. Jesus shows us to teach the truth boldly is to truly love God’s people. Some will reject it, but those who accept it will understand the truth of the good news.

A parent could tell their children it is safe to play in the street and the children may be happier, but they are in danger. So too is it important to preach the full gospel in its full truth to the body of Christ!

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