Category Archives: Trinity

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Jesus Set Us Free from the Law of Sin and Death, Not From God’s Law via Moses

As a reminder of context, in writing to the Galatians Paul was confronting what appears to be a turn toward legalism… putting faith in salvation in obedience to the law. He strongly rebukes the people to put their faith in salvation only in Christ Jesus. He is not condemning circumcision or the law, but rather the idea of putting our faith into those things so that we would be saved instead of Jesus. While we should clearly avoid thinking of the law as salvation, let us recognize that Paul identifies in this very same passage that the law can be summarized as loving your neighbor as yourself. Thus the law can’t be bad in and of itself. It serves as a good guide. For those of us who are Spirit-filled and submitted to the Spirit, Paul argues that we will not “need” the law. However, let us not lose sight of the fact that the Spirit will not lead you inconsistently with the law and instructions of God. Both are focused on loving God and loving one another… God’s way.

Let us all invite the Spirit in to fill us and lead us as followers of Christ. Recognize the law has no power to save us, only through faith in Christ can we be saved. However, the law has been and remains a helpful guide in understanding what we should do and not do. We must study and pray for the Spirit to lead us, however. There are aspects of the law, such as animal sacrifices, which are no longer relevant given Christ’s death for us. Let us also take care not to confuse the many man made “laws” or rules that are not of God but have been added. Let us stick to the Bible and not the rules of men that have been added and are so burdensome as to overwhelm anyone.

As we decide which aspects of God’s law are meaningful and which we believe may no longer be… let us look for scripture to understand which have been fulfilled and not take such a simplified approach as to throw all the law out on the assumption that we no longer need God’s guide. It still has value to help many who are not Spirit filled or fully submitted to God’s Spirit. It is a good check or validation to many of us as well as to whether our flesh may be leading us astray in some areas in our life as it battles for control with our submission to the Spirit.

Galatians 5

Walk by the Spirit

     1It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

      2Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

      7You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. 9A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. 10I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. 12I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.

      13For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 15But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

      16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

      25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Pray the Spirit would fill God’s people around the world and overwhelm the desires of the flesh such that we would have a revival around the globe.

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.

Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Father / Yahweh, Obeying God, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Returning to God: Rediscovering His Ways for a Blessed Life

The first 18 verses of Jeremiah 17 bring attention to how Israel had turned away from the LORD. They were doing their own thing. They were not living unto the LORD and obeying His instructions. In that context, Jeremiah was to proclaim the Sabbath with a warning to obey and experience blessing or disobey and experience discipline.

God wanted the hearts of the people turned back toward Him. He wants this still today! Too many of us have turned away to go our own way or follow what everyone else is doing. We have lost much of what God calls us to do, including truly observing the Sabbath as one example. Sabbath was more than simply resting, it was a sign between God and His people (Ezekiel 20:20).

Jeremiah 17:19-27

The Sabbath Must Be Kept

      19Thus the LORD said to me, “Go and stand in the public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as in all the gates of Jerusalem; 20and say to them, ‘Listen to the word of the LORD, kings of Judah, and all Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates: 21‘Thus says the LORD, “Take heed for yourselves, and do not carry any load on the sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. 22“You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the sabbath day nor do any work, but keep the sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers. 23“Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction.

      24“But it will come about, if you listen attentively to Me,” declares the LORD, “to bring no load in through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to keep the sabbath day holy by doing no work on it, 25then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26“They will come in from the cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the LORD. 27“But if you do not listen to Me to keep the sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem and not be quenched.”’”

Challenge yourself to seek out God’s ways. Do not judge based on church norms or cultural norms. Dive into the Bible and study to see how God has instructed us to live. What guidance has He given His people? The Sabbath is one example. God instructs us to observe the Sabbath and tells us it was made for our benefit.  As one who grew up ignoring the Sabbath and has not started observing it for over 10 years, I can say that I see tremendous benefit that I did not know I was missing. The same is true for instructions He has given. Let us rediscover God’s ways and apply them in our lives.

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.

Consequences of Sin, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Traditions / Holidays

The Ultimate Act of Love: Reflections on Memorial Day

As we recognize Memorial Day, it is a good time to reflect on and appreciate those who have laid down their lives for the rest of us to be able to live free in the United States of America. It is a good time to pray for those who are actively serving, have served, or are surviving family of those who have died in service to our country. God gave us this unique nation based on Judeo-Christian values and heritage. Many have served and died protecting it.

Yeshua demonstrated and taught that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for his friends. He laid down His life for all those who choose to follow Him and submit to Him. We can be thankful for sure that our sins can be forgiven because of Him. We could never pay that debt.

Yeshua also encouraged His disciples to show this kind of love for one another as well… to lay down their life for one another. So, too, are we encouraged to lay down our lives for one another. At times, we may face a situation where we literally must make that choice in an instant. Other times we lay down our lives by how we live for others rather than living for ourselves.

As we read, we should not overlook that Yeshua said that “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” This is clearly important, but a different context in our relationship with Him vs. relationships with each other that we may consider friends. We should obey Yeshua to be His “friend”. We do not need to obey each other to be friends.

John 15:12-17

Disciples’ Relation to Each Other

12“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14“You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17“This I command you, that you love one another.

Take time to pray for those who risk their lives or lose them for others. Pray also for their families. Of course, not everyone in uniform is righteous or acts with righteous motives, but many have sacrificed none the less to protect our country and our freedom. Pray also for the leadership in our government so that they would lead well and not recklessly. Further, pray for the people of our nation that they would hold in high regard those that serve to protect our nation and risk their lives to do so.

Take time to also pause and reflect on our Savior, Yeshua, who laid down his life for us so we could be forgiven and reconciled with the Father. Give thanks to him. Do not let that offer be wasted. Rather, submit to him, turn from your sin, and seek him. Let him be Lord of your life. You will find greater joy and peace in this world and after.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You that You sent Yeshua to lay down His life for me, so that I could be forgiven and reconciled to You. Thank You for the people that have sacrificed personally to protect and build up our nation as a free nation built on individual liberty and not dominated by tyrants or a ruling class that controls the people. Please help protect and maintain that nation based on Your principles and ideals from those who would change it for something else, like socialism or simply giving up more and more individual freedom to government control. Please raise up the righteous and bring restoration to the land that we would be a light for the world to bring You glory. 

Shalom

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.

Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteous, Salvation

Faith Brings Righteousness

Faith brings righteousness. Many will agree quickly and point to how it is new with the new covenant and death of Christ… that before that people were judged by perfect compliance with the law. Galatians 3 is a passionate passage from Paul on this topic.

As we read, consider a few things.  The Mosaic law was not around when Abraham was deemed faithful by Yahweh. Abraham was deemed righteous by his faith.

Genesis 15:6

6Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Abram did not live a perfect life according to the law which was not yet given. Abram was righteous through faith.

The Mosaic law was provided by God to His people to guide them. They were coming out of slavery in Egypt and being trained and prepared to obey and follow the Lord and prepared to take the promised land. It is good and perfect. Let us not take to lightly throwing it away, but it can not save us. Only faith in Christ can do that.  The law remains a good guide for us and a source of validation on what is right and what is not. It helps us better understand our Lord and Father and how to show love to Him and to others.

Psalm 19:7-8

   7The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

      8The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Matthew 22:37-40

37And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38“This is the great and foremost commandment. 39“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

We can also understand from the context of Paul’s other letters that he did not consider the law to be a curse or a bad thing. The context of his passionate commentary on the law and faith in Galatians 3 is based on what appears to be a group of believers sliding away from the truth and into false teaching. The Galatians appear to be struggling in regards to putting their faith in Christ, relying more and more on the law instead. With this in mind, Paul rebukes them firmly. As you read, consider that the curse of the law is not the law itself, properly used, but rather the curse is that those who try to be saved by the law will be held to account to live it out perfectly… which none of us can.

Galatians 3

Faith Brings Righteousness

     1You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

      6Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

      10For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.” 11Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” 12However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.” 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”— 14in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The law is good and can be very helpful as a guide and validation. It can help us learn how to love God and love others. However, put not your faith in the law but in Christ and His death for our sins. Invite the Spirit to dwell inside you and guide you. Where the law shows us the standard and our failure to reach it, it brings no power to help us. The Spirit, however, brings power to help us live in such a way as to glorify our Father. Praise Him for both Savior and Spirit! He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him, forgiven of our sins, and also provided a Helper for us to live in such a way as to glorify Him and honor 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.

Church / Body of Christ, Encouragement, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh

Linked By The Spirit As Followers of Yeshua

It is truly wonderful. Those of us who know Yahweh through Yeshua need not all be taught in one school to find the same truth. The Spirit leads and guides us, helping us to properly understand and live out and teach the gospel. There will be those who do not understand and who disagree on points of doctrine. We can listen and debate, but we should not yield simply to peer pressure but rather change only when we truly recognize an error in our understanding. In that way, we grow wiser.

Just as Paul could visit James, Cephas, and John after 14 years and still come together in fellowship and support, so we can come together with other believers who have not been taught from a common human teacher, but from the Spirit Himself though we may have studied and lived far apart geographically.

Paul was sent to the Gentiles as others were called to the Jews. They were not in competition but in collaboration. Let us work in this way with our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Let us be aligned in our submission to the Spirit and in our purpose to share the gospel with all the world.

Galatians 2:1-10

The Council at Jerusalem

     1Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. 2It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. 3But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. 5But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. 6But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. 7But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised 8(for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), 9and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10They only asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I also was eager to do.

There are always mockers, who will attack those who stand firmly and clearly for Yeshua. However, there are many fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we may find almost instant fellowship through our bond as servants of the same Lord and students of the same Teacher. Though we may be called to different ministry, we can support and collaborate with one another. We are on the same team, though we may not even meet often.

Let us pray for one another and support one another as followers of Yeshua. For each of us the ministry field may be somewhat different, but we all pursue the same objective for the same Lord.

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.

Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Share the Good News, Teachable

Let the Spirit Be Our Teacher Rather than Men

Seminary and church teaching can be useful if the theology is taught properly. However, in many cases, it is not the Spirit of God that leads the men who run seminaries. They are led by the spirit of men trying to run a business or a broad church organization or perhaps well intended but not fully understanding the depth of scripture themselves. We must always go back to the gospel itself and the Spirit of God to teach us. We can use other study tools to help, of course. Consider that none of the core disciples (later apostles) of Yeshua had formal seminary teaching from religious leaders. They were common men taught by Christ and later led by the Spirit.

Paul, who did have formal teaching from a respected teacher, was prosecuting Christians and clinging to the doctrine of men. That is until Paul had a personal and dramatic encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. It changed him forever.

Galatians 1:11-24

Paul Defends His Ministry

     11For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

      13For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 14and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 15But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 16to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

      18Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; 23but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24And they were glorifying God because of me.

It may be well to study at seminary if you pick the right one, but never take as gospel the doctrine of men. Test it always against the word of Yahweh in the Bible. Take note also, that the Spirit will not contradict the word of God. When we think we have heard from the Spirit, we can often test what we think we heard against God’s written word for confirmation. Pray for the Lord to guide you. Be willing to challenge common and “accepted” teaching based on what scripture says. Seek to please the Lord rather than other church members or leadership or friends or family. Look for pastors that do the same.

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.

Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Father / Yahweh, Justice / Judgment, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Behold, I Will Refine My People (for Disobedience)

God finds it sad and frustrating to see His people living apart from Him. They may identify with Him in name, but do not live according to His ways or in relationship to Him. As we would with our children whom we love, so He also will consider discipline and correction to draw us back and to hold us accountable.

This is true in our lives still today. It is not just something to read about in “ancient Israel”. God is still moved to grief by our lack of obedience.

Jeremiah 9

A Lament over Zion

1Oh that my head were waters
And my eyes a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night
For the slain of the daughter of my people!

      2Oh that I had in the desert
A wayfarers’ lodging place;
That I might leave my people
And go from them!
For all of them are adulterers,
An assembly of treacherous men.

      3“They bend their tongue like their bow;
Lies and not truth prevail in the land;
For they proceed from evil to evil,
And they do not know Me,” declares the LORD.

      4“Let everyone be on guard against his neighbor,
And do not trust any brother;
Because every brother deals craftily,
And every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.

      5“Everyone deceives his neighbor
And does not speak the truth,
They have taught their tongue to speak lies;
They weary themselves committing iniquity.

      6“Your dwelling is in the midst of deceit;
Through deceit they refuse to know Me,” declares the LORD.

      7Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts,
“Behold, I will refine them and assay them;
For what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?

      8“Their tongue is a deadly arrow;
It speaks deceit;
With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor,
But inwardly he sets an ambush for him.

      9“Shall I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD.
“On a nation such as this
Shall I not avenge Myself?

      10“For the mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing,
And for the pastures of the wilderness a dirge,
Because they are laid waste so that no one passes through,
And the lowing of the cattle is not heard;
Both the birds of the sky and the beasts have fled; they are gone.

      11“I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
A haunt of jackals;
And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

      12Who is the wise man that may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD has spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined, laid waste like a desert, so that no one passes through? 13The LORD said, “Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it, 14but have walked after the stubbornness of their heart and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them,” 15therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink. 16“I will scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after them until I have annihilated them.”

      17Thus says the LORD of hosts,
“Consider and call for the mourning women, that they may come;
And send for the wailing women, that they may come!

      18“Let them make haste and take up a wailing for us,
That our eyes may shed tears
And our eyelids flow with water.

      19“For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion,
‘How are we ruined!
We are put to great shame,
For we have left the land,
Because they have cast down our dwellings.’”

      20Now hear the word of the LORD, O you women,
And let your ear receive the word of His mouth;
Teach your daughters wailing,
And everyone her neighbor a dirge.

      21For death has come up through our windows;
It has entered our palaces
To cut off the children from the streets,
The young men from the town squares.

      22Speak, “Thus says the LORD,
‘The corpses of men will fall like dung on the open field,
And like the sheaf after the reaper,
But no one will gather them.’”

      23Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

      25“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised— 26Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”

Ask God to show you any areas where you need to make a change and for Him to help you embrace that change rather than resist it.

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.

Discipline / Guidance From God, Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

Sin Has Consequences; Do Things God’s Way

When we sin against God without shame or remorse and choose not to repent, we will continue to experience consequences. He will remove His hand of blessing and even bring about correction for those who are His people. He is like a loving father trying to bring His children back to the right path. There are consequences for disobedience and doing things our own way, even if we don’t recognize it.

Jeremiah 8

The Sin and Treachery of Judah

      1“At that time,” declares the LORD, “they will bring out the bones of the kings of Judah and the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem from their graves. 2“They will spread them out to the sun, the moon and to all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served, and which they have gone after and which they have sought, and which they have worshiped. They will not be gathered or buried; they will be as dung on the face of the ground. 3“And death will be chosen rather than life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family, that remains in all the places to which I have driven them,” declares the LORD of hosts.

4“You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD,
“Do men fall and not get up again?
Does one turn away and not repent?

      5“Why then has this people, Jerusalem,
Turned away in continual apostasy?
They hold fast to deceit,
They refuse to return.

      6“I have listened and heard,
They have spoken what is not right;
No man repented of his wickedness,
Saying, ‘What have I done?’
Everyone turned to his course,
Like a horse charging into the battle.

      7“Even the stork in the sky
Knows her seasons;
And the turtledove and the swift and the thrush
Observe the time of their migration;
But My people do not know
The ordinance of the LORD.

      8“How can you say, ‘We are wise,
And the law of the LORD is with us’?
But behold, the lying pen of the scribes
Has made it into a lie.

      9“The wise men are put to shame,
They are dismayed and caught;
Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD,
And what kind of wisdom do they have?

      10“Therefore I will give their wives to others,
Their fields to new owners;
Because from the least even to the greatest
Everyone is greedy for gain;
From the prophet even to the priest
Everyone practices deceit.

      11“They heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially,
Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
But there is no peace.

      12“Were they ashamed because of the abomination they had done?
They certainly were not ashamed,
And they did not know how to blush;
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time of their punishment they shall be brought down,”
Says the LORD.

      13“I will surely snatch them away,” declares the LORD;
“There will be no grapes on the vine
And no figs on the fig tree,
And the leaf will wither;
And what I have given them will pass away.”’”

      14Why are we sitting still?
Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities
And let us perish there,
Because the LORD our God has doomed us
And given us poisoned water to drink,
For we have sinned against the LORD.

      15We waited for peace, but no good came;
For a time of healing, but behold, terror!

      16From Dan is heard the snorting of his horses;
At the sound of the neighing of his stallions
The whole land quakes;
For they come and devour the land and its fullness,
The city and its inhabitants.

      17“For behold, I am sending serpents against you,
Adders, for which there is no charm,
And they will bite you,” declares the LORD.

      18My sorrow is beyond healing,
My heart is faint within me!

      19Behold, listen! The cry of the daughter of my people from a distant land:
“Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not within her?”
“Why have they provoked Me with their graven images, with foreign idols?”

      20“Harvest is past, summer is ended,
And we are not saved.”

      21For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken;
I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me.

      22Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored?

Submit yourself fully to God, not in part. Ask Him to show you any area of your life where you need to repent and change your attitudes or actions. Do not delay. Draw near to Him. He is ready to forgive.

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, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Study the Word, Teachable, Traditions / Holidays

In Yeshua, We Have More Reason to Celebrate Passover

It is important to remember what YHWH has done for us. He is our Creator and Lord. He is all powerful, all knowing, and present at all times in all places. Still, He takes time to know each one of us and He loves each one of us as a father.

Sometimes He dwells on a certain instruction to emphasize it so that we pay attention and do not miss it. Celebrating Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread is one of those. As we read through Exodus 12, we experience God’s instruction about celebrating these as remembrance of God setting His people free from bondage in Egypt. Given how much the Christian church today distances itself from these appointed times of God, we may be tempted to think… “Ok, glad I am done with Exodus 12 and can get on with the story.” God however, is not done commanding and emphasizing to us that we should celebrate Passover and Feast of Unleavened bread in remembrance of His actions on behalf of His people. He comes back to it in Exodus 13 and again in Exodus 23. Spoiler alert… he comes back to it again and again… especially in Leviticus 23.

Exodus 13:1-16

Consecration of the Firstborn

1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.”

3Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the LORD brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten. 4“On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go forth. 5“It shall be when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall observe this rite in this month. 6“For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 7“Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders. 8“You shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9“And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt. 10“Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.

11“Now when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12you shall devote to the LORD the first offspring of every womb, and the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the LORD. 13“But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14“And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15‘It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16“So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

You may find yourself asking, “Why is this so important to God? The church has not taught me to celebrate it.” God tells us why it is important to Him.

8“You shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9“And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt. 10“Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.

and again…

14“And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15‘It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16“So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

When our Father repeats something over and over again, we should recognize it is important. Our heavenly Father wants us to remember His love and power in setting His people free from bondage in Egypt. As followers of Messiah we can also recognize that in Messiah we now have yet another reason to celebrate Passover. Yeshua served as our Passover lamb, killed for our sin. The unleavened bread can remind us of getting sin out of our lives… making vivid a reminder that a little sin affects us a lot, like a little yeast affects the whole loaf of bread. We need to get all the sin out of our lives.

Passover is not just for Jewish people who don’t believe in Christ as Messiah. Passover has rich meaning and can help us draw nearer to the Lord. We could have a longer discussion on how to celebrate today, but for today I am really focused on encouraging you to read and study more, to embrace God’s holy days and learn more about them. God said we should, and he has great ideas. Once we make the decision to do it, then we take the next step and begin to study how… that is the journey my family and I are on today. We find great joy in seeking to better understand our relationship with YHWH through studying and celebrating his appointed times.

Do take care that we don’t have to celebrate Passover because it is “required” but rather so we can grow in our relationship with our Creator and delight in him. As the temple and the priests are not available, we can not celebrate in a fully Biblical manner, and that should not be our goal as Yeshua has already served as our Passover lamb, once and for all. Let us use this as an opportunity simply to glorify YHWH and what he has done for his people in setting them free from slavery in Egypt and more importantly in setting us free from slavery from sin through Yeshua.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please open my eyes to Your celebrations and help me to embrace joyfully the opportunity to celebrate Your holy days in Your way! Help me to focus on celebrating Yeshua in the Moedim. Amen. 

To study more on Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread, visit our teaching on Celebrating God’s Holy Days (Moedim) and review our category of posts relating to Holidays/Traditions (scroll down to move from one post to another).

Here are a few additional resources where you can learn more about the Moedim, the Creator’s calendar (often called the “Jewish” calendar).

I encourage you to invest time studying this topic and do not dismiss it. I have found it to be powerful in transforming the focus of our celebrations off of ourselves and rightly focused toward our Creator and Savior!

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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.

Compassionate, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

The Message of the Cross – Salvation Through Yeshua (Jesus)

God’s instruction to us is so complete and relevant that a scholar could spend a lifetime studying it, yet so simple that a child can understand it and come to a personal relationship with Christ.

The message of the cross, of Yeshua, is perhaps best summarized in the words of Yeshua and Paul, and Passover is a wonderful time to reflect on the sacrifice of Yeshua for our sins and our invitation to receive salvation through Him. (To study more on Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread and how it relates to salvation through Yeshua, visit our teaching on Celebrating God’s Holy Days (Moedim) and the other resources linked there.)

John 3:16-21

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His [e]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the [f]only begotten Son of God. 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.”

Let us take care to understand properly in context the word “believe”. I believe that Greenland exists, but it has no impact on my life. Many believe that Yeshua was a true historical figure, but they do not live according to His instructions. Many even believe Yeshua was Messiah, in an academic sense, but they do not submit to Him and live His way. If we truly believe that Yeshua Messiah, God, then we should submit to Him and the evidence should be demonstrated in our changed life through actions and attitudes that are increasingly more like Him and less like our old selves.

James 2:14-20

     14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

      18But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

Some ask…”What is sin?” or “How can I know if I have sinned?” People are inherently sinful, not good. Sin separates us from God. The Bible tells us that “… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” [Romans 3:23]

Have you ever broken one of God’s commandments [Exodus 20:1-17]? Yeshua makes clear that God’s standard goes beyond committing the physical acts but even includes the heart and mind. To hold anger against someone is to commit murder. To have lustful thoughts is to commit adultery. [Matthew 5:21-48]

God is love, but He is also holy and just. A price must be paid for our sins. It can not be ignored. We are not able to pay the price ourselves because we are not worthy. Our sins are so ugly before God that the penalty of sin is death.

God so loved the world that He became man in the person of Yeshua, living a sinless life, and suffered and died for our sins. He was buried and rose again.  He has overcome death and gives us a path to eternal life through accepting Jesus as Lord.

The work of the cross has already been completed. The price has been paid for your sins and mine. We must each individually repent of our sins before God. This means we must turn away from them, not just feel bad about them and keep sinning. We accept Him as Lord, submitting our lives fully to Him. We cannot call Him Lord and then only submit to Him part way. If He is Lord we must submit to Him all the way. This is evidenced by a change in our thoughts and behaviors. We become different from the world. We do not rationalize and accept even some of our sin but rather reject it and seek to follow God.  It is not enough to call ourselves Christians and go to church. We must fully submit to God.

Romans 10

10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3 For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the [a]end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

5 For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is [b]based on law shall live [c]by that righteousness. 6 But the righteousness [d]based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 [e]that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, [f]resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, [g]resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be [h]disappointed.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who [i]bring good news of good things!”

16 However, they did not all heed the [j]good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word [k]of Christ.

18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have;

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the ends of the [l]world.”

19 But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says,

“I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation,
By a nation without understanding will I anger you.”

20 And Isaiah is very bold and says,

“I was found by those who did not seek Me,
I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”

21 But as for Israel He says, “All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

Many will reject the message, but we are called to preach it to all the world. We as believers must not be silent or no one will hear the true word of God. If they do not hear it, they can not accept it and be saved.

If you have never submitted to Yeshua as Lord, please pray with me the following, but pray genuinely with your heart because it is not about the specific words but the condition of the heart and submission to God.

Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Yeshua. I admit that I have done wrong and ask your forgiveness. I believe in my heart that Yeshua died for my sin and that you raised Him from the dead. I ask Yeshua into my heart as Lord over my life. Help me to change my attitude and behavior to turn away from my own ways and the world’s ways and instead turn toward You and live the way You teach as revealed in Your word, the Bible. Help me to gladly and boldly proclaim Jesus publicly in my life. Thank you, God, for saving me.

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

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

Tell others you know have already accepted Yeshua as their Lord and Savior. Tell them of your decision to follow Him. Look to connect with a mentor who has a mature relationship with Yeshua and/or a local group of followers of Yeshua. Discern based on actions and attitudes of the people rather than what they call themselves. Don’t just assume someone who calls themselves “Christian” is the right connection. Compare to the written word in the Bible and pray for wisdom.

Why is it important to declare Yeshua as Lord publicly? He said so.

Matthew 10:32-33 32 “Therefore everyone who [z]confesses Me before men, I will also confess [aa]him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever [ab]denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

Also, connecting with other disciples (or learners) of Yeshua and publicly declaring your decision to follow Him can help provide important support from others to help you on your journey. Remember, many who reject Yeshua will try to talk you out of submitting to Him and following Him. Some even do this while claiming to follow Him. Pray God will guide you to and connect you with the fellowship of true brothers and sisters in Yeshua that will help you to continue your lifelong journey to know, love, and serve our savior and messiah!

We invite you to study the Bible with us daily through our devotions via email, Facebook, or on our website Latest Devotions page. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) has developed and shared the following wonderful tools to help new believers get started. (Steps to Peace God and Living In Christ)

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

Understanding what the law means to us today can be confusing and requires careful study. In Romans 10:3-5, above, Paul is not saying Jesus came to change the law or abolish the law. Paul is specifically referring to the aspect of the law in which we are to be made right with God. Instead of being made right with God through perfect execution of the law, or through sacrifices and through the earthly priesthood, we are made right with God through Jesus Christ. John 3:16-18 confirms that Jesus came not to redefine sin or redefine God’s instruction by which we are to live (e.g. the law of God) but rather to address the judgment for our sin when we fall short of fully living up to God’s standard.  Jesus did not end the law, which shows us how to live according to God’s instruction, but rather to provide a way for us to be reconciled to God when we fall short of perfectly executing God’s law. For more, please read our message onUnderstanding The Law – What Does It Mean For Us Today?

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.