Category Archives: Jesus Christ / Yeshua

False Prophets / Teachers, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Discerning the True Shepherd: Jeremiah 23’s Message for Today

Jeremiah 23 paints a stark contrast between the coming Messiah and gathering up His people who are scattered compared to the false prophets who lead the people away from God.

How important it is that we follow the right one, even today! We can’t simply follow everyone who preaches or teaches about God or claims to have a word from God.  We must use discernment. We must study God’s word and build a personal relationship with Him.

Jeremiah 23

The Coming Messiah: the Righteous Branch

      1“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares the LORD. 2Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares the LORD. 3“Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4“I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD.

      5“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD,
“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;
And He will reign as king and act wisely
And do justice and righteousness in the land.

      6“In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell securely;
And this is His name by which He will be called,
‘The LORD our righteousness.’

      7“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when they will no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 8but, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.”

False Prophets Denounced

9As for the prophets:
My heart is broken within me,
All my bones tremble;
I have become like a drunken man,
Even like a man overcome with wine,
Because of the LORD
And because of His holy words.

      10For the land is full of adulterers;
For the land mourns because of the curse.
The pastures of the wilderness have dried up.
Their course also is evil
And their might is not right.

      11“For both prophet and priest are polluted;
Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the LORD.

      12“Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them,
They will be driven away into the gloom and fall down in it;
For I will bring calamity upon them,
The year of their punishment,” declares the LORD.

      13“Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing:
They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.

      14“Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing:
The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood;
And they strengthen the hands of evildoers,
So that no one has turned back from his wickedness.
All of them have become to Me like Sodom,
And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

15“Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets,
‘Behold, I am going to feed them wormwood
And make them drink poisonous water,
For from the prophets of Jerusalem
Pollution has gone forth into all the land.’”

      16Thus says the LORD of hosts,
“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.
They are leading you into futility;
They speak a vision of their own imagination,
Not from the mouth of the LORD.

      17“They keep saying to those who despise Me,
‘The LORD has said, “You will have peace”’;
And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart,
They say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you.’

      18“But who has stood in the council of the LORD,
That he should see and hear His word?
Who has given heed to His word and listened?

      19“Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath,
Even a whirling tempest;
It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.

      20“The anger of the LORD will not turn back
Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart;
In the last days you will clearly understand it.

      21“I did not send these prophets,
But they ran.
I did not speak to them,
But they prophesied.

      22“But if they had stood in My council,
Then they would have announced My words to My people,
And would have turned them back from their evil way
And from the evil of their deeds.

      23“Am I a God who is near,” declares the LORD,
“And not a God far off?

      24“Can a man hide himself in hiding places
So I do not see him?” declares the LORD.
“Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.

      25“I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a dream, I had a dream!’ 26“How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart, 27who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? 28“The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the LORD. 29“Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock? 30“Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the LORD, “who steal My words from each other. 31“Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the LORD, “who use their tongues and declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ 32“Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,” declares the LORD, “and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares the LORD.

      33“Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you saying, ‘What is the oracle of the LORD?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What oracle?’ The LORD declares, ‘I will abandon you.’ 34“Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, ‘The oracle of the LORD,’ I will bring punishment upon that man and his household. 35“Thus will each of you say to his neighbor and to his brother, ‘What has the LORD answered?’ or, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 36“For you will no longer remember the oracle of the LORD, because every man’s own word will become the oracle, and you have perverted the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God. 37“Thus you will say to that prophet, ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ and, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 38“For if you say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’ surely thus says the LORD, ‘Because you said this word, “The oracle of the LORD!” I have also sent to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’”’ 39“Therefore behold, I will surely forget you and cast you away from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers. 40“I will put an everlasting reproach on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten.”

Test everyone that is claiming to speak for God against the word of God in the Bible. Look for validation from God when someone shares a word with you. Seek to build a personal relationship with God so you will know the difference in His voice and a false prophet or teacher.

In all of this, also give thanks for God having sent Jesus as Messiah so we can be reconciled to God despite our sins.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Satan, Spiritual Warfare

Live in Contrast to the World While Following Jesus

Many of us who follow Jesus will at one time or another be essentially mocked or called out as “out of our senses”.  The world struggles to understand how true disciples of Christ think and act. To follow in the example of Christ is very different from much of their worldview.

I can think of several examples simply ranging from declaring Jesus as God to giving generously while seeking nothing in return. Just declaring evolution as the false doctrine it is may be sufficient to evoke these kinds of responses. In fact, I remember one event where someone generously bought dinner for a large group at a restaurant which was unexpected. Rather than simply saying “thank you” and recognizing the person was “giving generously”, some actually mocked him as crazy for spending money that way. The world does not understand the followers of Jesus.

But take heart, Jesus experienced similar reactions. It may well be a good indicator that you are living apart from the world’s way. After going up to the mountain to appoint the twelve disciples, Jesus returned home to quite an uproar. The crowd gathered such that they could not even eat a meal. People said Jesus had lost His senses or was  possessed.

Mark 3:20-27

      20And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. 21When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” 22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” 23And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25“If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26“If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! 27“But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

Jesus certainly has a way of summarizing the issue.  How absurd that someone would say He is possessed by demons because He casts out demons! If Satan is the strong man in this scenario, then one greater than He must be present to “bind him” and cast out the demons.

Do not be discouraged when others do not understand the motivations and actions you exemplify in your life. Test to ensure that you are in line with Jesus Christ by studying and applying scripture. If that is right, keep on marching forward whether or not they think you may be crazy. Pray for God to help you be a light and draw others to Him through Christ.

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

Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Seeking God, Spiritual Warfare

Rekindle Your Passion and Pursuit of Christ

It is good to reflect on the power of the miracles and teaching of Jesus and the impact it had on many who were there to witness it. Mark 3 captures the essence as crowds pressed in so forcefully, Jesus got in a boat to keep some space. He had healed and cast out demons. He taught the truth of God’s word.

Mark 3:7-12

      7Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, 8and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. 9And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; 10for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. 11Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” 12And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was.

Ask yourself, “Am I that hungry to pursue Jesus? Do my actions and choices in life reflect that about me?”

If the answer is “no”, then it is a good time for reflection and prayer to change your focus and priorities and pursue Jesus with greater passion.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Humility, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Teachable

Embracing the Truth: Humility and Teachability in Following Jesus

The Pharisees often struggled to understand the truth of Jesus’ teaching. They already thought they understood everything based on their rules and traditions and their application of God’s laws and commands. They struggled then to understand and accept when Jesus did differently than they expected because they did not have a humble and teachable attitude. They did not recognize and accept Jesus as divine authority with divine understanding of God’s law that was above their own understanding.

We must take a different approach if we are to learn from Jesus rather than cling to our existing man made traditions. We should test everything against the life of Jesus and the whole of scripture.

Mark 2:23-28

Question of the Sabbath

      23And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. 24The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25And He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28“So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

In today’s scripture, we can observe several key elements from Jesus’ behavior and discussion.

Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Thus, God did not make man just to worship Him on Sabbath for His own pleasure. Rather, God created the Sabbath as a much needed day of rest, prayer, and study of scripture to help man in his life to draw near to God and other people. Sabbath can rest and strengthen us as we go through difficult times and it can encourage us even in good times. It keeps us focused on God.

Not all of God’s commands are equally important in all situations. While we should strive to obey all of them, applied in proper context, there are situations where we need to use good judgment to recognize that we must deviate. One such example is cited by Jesus, Himself regarding David and his men. Another example is demonstrated by Jesus allowing His disciples to pick grain.  As I look to apply in my life, I have encountered situations where I have the opportunity to help someone on a Sabbath… that is good. However, even acts of service and love can interfere in our Sabbath rest and worship if we always schedule them for Sabbath. When practical I try to schedule on other days to keep my Sabbath open. I have to use good judgment to balance the decisions. We shall not be so literal as to miss opportunities to show love to one another and help one another when urgent. (Think about the parable of the good Samaritan. Take the time to help someone in need.)

Jesus clearly takes hold of the claim that He is the “Son of Man” and is “Lord even of the Sabbath”. While this may not be clear to some of us as we read from our culture and time, it is a clear statement that He is one with God. Only God is Lord of the Sabbath. Son of Man refers to the Messiah. Jesus clearly identifies Himself to those listening.

As we continue to try to learn more about the truth of God’s word, let us be careful to show grace to fellow believers in regards to our customs and traditions (e.g. such as around Sabbath). Teach and share truth as Jesus did, without rejecting those who seek to learn it just because they do not yet know it.  Not everyone understands the truth to the same level.

All of us are influenced by the worldly culture that surrounds us… that we grew up in. Sometimes it is hard to separate that out and reject it and turn fully toward God’s path. It certainly requires study and time to uncover the full truth of God’s word. It requires prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit to transform one’s life. Let us show grace to fellow believers who may not fully understand or apply the truth as we do and let us remain humble and teachable so that we can continue to learn more about God’s truth and how to apply it in our lives.

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

His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant, Teachable

Will You Answer Jesus’ Call Enthusiastically?

Jesus often calls upon those we least expect. As we read through the gospels, we see clearly that Jesus did not pick only those perceived to be most holy or perfect already. He chose people who were humble and teachable and knew that they were sinners. He chose as His inner circle those that were willing to put God first above the concerns of the world such as even family and business. He chose and discipled those answered His call with enthusiasm.

As we each seek to hear from God in our lives today, we should prepare ourselves to answer His call enthusiastically, as Matthew did and others who followed Jesus during His earthly ministry.

Beyond His inner circle, Jesus was also comfortable reaching out to sinners as a doctor reaches out to those who are sick. He did not make close friends with those who refused to repent from their sin, but He did reach out to them. Because of His approach, many were and are saved.

Mark 2:14-17

Levi (Matthew) Called

      14As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

      15And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. 16When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?” 17And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Let us challenge ourselves to follow the example of Jesus in reaching out to sinners and showing them love and telling them the truth of the gospel. We must never “water down” the truth so as to make people comfortable in their unrepentant sin, but we must bring the truth to them… and that may lead us at times to places we would not normally choose to go to visit people we would not normally spend time with.

I pray that  God would strengthen me in this area for bold outreach and help me to do so more effectively for the glory of His kingdom. I encourage you to pray similarly and then to look for opportunities to reach out to those who do not yet know and believe in Jesus as Messiah.

Look for ways to support new believers as they respond to God’s call, even if they have a sinful past. Strive to remember that we all come from sinful pasts and none of us are worthy of forgiveness except through the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

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

Faith / Trusting God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Healer, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin, Sin

Jesus: Messiah, Savior, and the Way to Reconciliation

I have encountered some that declare Jesus was just a good teacher and not God. Some say a prophet. Some insist that Jesus never even really said He was God. The sum total of scripture from Genesis through Revelation points to Jesus as Messiah. It is amazing that any can claim He is a prophet or good teacher, but not God. The fact is that Jesus also had very explicit examples recorded in scripture where He communicates that He and the Father are one… that He is God.

Perhaps one of the most obvious is in John 10.

John 10:24-30

24The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26“But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30“I and the Father are one.”

There are other similar scriptures where Jesus could not be more plain and direct in this manner. There are also multiple examples where He communicates it in a more subtle, but still clear manner.

Mark 2:1-13

The Paralytic Healed

      1When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. 4Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. 5And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9“Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10“But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11“I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” 12And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

      13And He went out again by the seashore; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.

Jesus clearly chose to talk about forgiving sins to communicate that He was one with God, because only God has authority to forgive sins.

For those of us who read the scriptures objectively and without bias, seeking truth, we must conclude that Jesus was not a good teacher or prophet. He was either a madman, a liar, or God in the flesh. Those are our choices.

For those of us who read and understand the scriptures, we know that Jesus is Messiah, who took the punishment for our sins and died on the cross for us. Through Him, we can be reconciled to God.

  • Admit that we are sinners in need of salvation.
  • Believe that Jesus died for us and rose again.
  • Confess with our mouths and our lives that Jesus is our Lord. Repent (turn away from our sins) and live according to God’s instructions.

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

Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Miracles, Miracles, Share the Good News, Thankfulness

Uncontainable Joy: Proclaiming the Power of Jesus

Those who truly know the power of Jesus can hardly contain themselves from telling others. They proclaim it joyfully and boldly. We should be careful not to get so comfortable in our walk with Him that we become complacent in living our lives and not proclaiming Him to others. Take note how it is often new believers, or those who truly were lost or ill and have been physically saved as well as spiritually saved that have an uncontainable enthusiasm about Jesus. Mark 1 provides a great example… even though Jesus instructed him not to tell others, the man could not contain his joy and amazement. He proclaimed Jesus joyfully everywhere he went. Many heard and came to seek Jesus.

Mark 1:40-45

    40And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, 44and He said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.

We could have an interesting discussion on why Jesus asked this man not to tell others, but none the less, let us take time to understand what joy and thankfulness filled this man after being healed. He could not contain himself.

Prayerfully reflect on your own life. Do you still have that enthusiasm that the man did in Mark 1? Do you tell others everywhere you go? Do you tell anyone whom you meet that is not already in church or close to you? If you did tell others, is your life different in such a way as to reflect that you follow Jesus?

Let us pray that God would help us to proclaim Him boldly and never loose our enthusiasm to tell others how our lives have been changed because of Jesus. Let us change our lives to reflect love and obedience in following Jesus. Let us be a light to those who do not yet know Him!

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Healer, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Spiritual Warfare

Faith in God Amidst Unanswered Prayers for Healing

Jesus did not come to heal every physical sickness or cast out every demon. This is sometimes difficult for people to accept. If they see others healed, but not the person they hope for, they often choose to dismiss that it was really God helping to heal others.

“Why would God heal some but not others?

We do not know that answer. There are many aspects worth highlighting. Faith is required. People came to Jesus, rather than waiting for Him to come to them. Jesus came to spread the truth of the gospel and lead people to right relationship with God by teaching and living the commands of God recorded in the Old Testament and to die as sacrifice for all of our sins so we could all have a chance to go to be reconciled to God regardless of our past sins and separation from Him. He did not come to heal every sickness and cast out every demon.

Let us take a simple example in Mark 1. He heals many and casts out demons. But he leaves while there are still yet others to be healed and set free. Why? Jesus tells us in verse 38.

Mark 1:29-39

Crowds Healed

      29And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. 31And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.

      32When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. 33And the whole city had gathered at the door. 34And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

      35In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. 36Simon and his companions searched for Him; 37they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 38He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” 39And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.

Jesus came to preach truth to many, not to heal everyone in one location. Miracles and healing were a helpful part of His ministry to demonstrate who He was to those around Him.

For any of you who may be angry, sad or confused about why someone you love was not healed… take heart. You can trust in our heavenly Father and in His plans and His decisions. We are to come to the Father through Jesus. We can petition Him with our needs and desires. Then we are to trust Him in His decisions, even when we disagree or do not understand… as a small child must trust his or her parents even when they say “no”.

Pray for God to help you with any hurt you are still dealing with in this area. Seek others you trust to pray with you. Reflect on all the signs and miracles God has given us that He is God and we can trust Him. Follow in the example of Jesus to come to the Father.

To study more teachings about prayer, consider our teachings:

You can also review our category of devotions about Learning to Pray Effectively.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Discerning / Judging, False Prophets / Teachers, Jesus (hearing from God), Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Study the Word, Teachable

Yeshua: The Source of Truth Amidst False Prophets and Cultural Norms

To put it simply, Yeshua is different from other teachers. He is different from the established religion that is taught in many churches or synagogues.  He has authority. He has the ability to work miracles. Immediately upon beginning to teach, people recognized He was no ordinary teacher. That is because Jesus was God in the flesh who came to dwell among us.

Mark 1:21-28

      21They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach. 22They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 25And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. 27They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.

Yeshua still has power and authority that others do not. Those who follow Him should teach boldly and with authority as well, though with a certain amount of humility. There is only one way and Yeshua is it. We should expect the fellowship of true believers to reflect their leader. When congregations or communities lift up Yeshua as their leader we should be able to see that they are different than other communities in the world. We should expect them to NOT conform to the cultural norms but to God’s word.

Many false prophets will try to fake miracles and try to teach as if they have authority, even though they teach false doctrine. We must study the scriptures ourselves daily and test teachers (you should test me also!) against scripture. We are only to follow those who teach the truth about Yeshua, consistent with what scripture teaches. Do not follow teachers just because they have a lot of people in their building every week or a lot of followers on Facebook.

As we look for whom we should follow, let us make sure it is Yeshua and not a “celebrity” pastor. We should follow the example of Yeshua and study scripture. We should seek truth and live by it even when it is in conflict with what an established church may teach. We should help pastors by holding them accountable to God’s word, even when it is unpopular. Of course we can study and learn from many different pastors, but none should be looked upon as the source of knowledge and all must be recognized to be capable of error. Let us do these things respectfully and with grace and humility.

Yeshua is most definitely different from the world. So, too, we should expect our church fellowship to be different as well. Let us choose wisely our church family and teachers. Let us seek many counselors and teachers and test everything against the word of God. Let us humbly seek God’s help in prayer for this important matter.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Faith / Trusting God, How do I get started?, Jesus (hearing from God), Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Submitted / Servant

The Simple Path: Repent, Believe, and Follow Yeshua

There is much to be said and studied about the teaching of our Messiah, Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus). We can and should study for a lifetime and continue to seek how we can apply what He taught in our lives on a daily basis. To be a disciple of Christ is to learn His ways and follow. Lest we get overwhelmed and lose focus on what is important… we can capture a very simple summary in Mark 1 as he shares the beginning of Yeshua’s public ministry.

Mark 1:14-20

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

      14Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

      16As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.

The message is actually quite concise.

15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

The time is fulfilled. Yeshua was fulfilling the prophecies about a Messiah that had long been anticipated.  The kingdom of God is at hand… His earthly ministry was a key part of the kingdom of God and the time was here. So what are we to do? Repent and believe in the gospel.

To repent is to turn away from our wrong way of doing things and turn toward God’s way. To believe in the gospel is to believe Yeshua is God become man to walk among us… to die for our sins and rise again from the dead. It is not simply to acknowledge Him with words, but for those who believe wholeheartedly, it transforms and then directs their life.

Beyond repentance, if we are to be disciples and followers of Christ, we must stop what other things we are focused on and follow Him. Simon, Andrew, James and John did not have all the answers. They chose to follow Yeshua and left behind everything that was familiar to them. They put Yeshua first, above even their family. That is not to say family is not important, but sometimes they can hold you back from devoting yourself to Yeshua fully. James and John had to leave the family fishing business behind in this case.

What a wonderfully simple (though not always easy) summary of how to get started with Yeshua! Recognize and acknowledge who He is, repent and turn toward God, and follow Yeshua to pick up the rest of what God has in store for you. You do not need to know all of God’s plans for you in order to get out of the fishing boat and begin to follow Him.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.