Category Archives: Truth

A Prayer of Supplication and Trust

A beautiful Psalm and also a prayer… pray with me for yourself, other followers of Christ, and the nations.

Psalm 86

A Psalm of Supplication and Trust.

A Prayer of David.

     1Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me;
For I am afflicted and needy.

2Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man;
O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You.

3Be gracious to me, O Lord,
For to You I cry all day long.

4Make glad the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

5For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.

6Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
And give heed to the voice of my supplications!

7In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You,
For You will answer me.

8There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works like Yours.

9All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name.

10For You are great and do wondrous deeds;
You alone are God.

11Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.

12I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.

13For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

14O God, arrogant men have risen up against me,
And a band of violent men have sought my life,
And they have not set You before them.

15But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.

16Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Oh grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your handmaid.

17Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

For more Biblical examples of prayer, and for personal prayer requests, please visit our Prayer Requests page.


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.

When God Invites You to a Deeper Understanding of Truth, Pursue It

It seems the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious leaders of the time, those most educated and trained in the formal practices of religion, never tired of spending time and energy trying to trick Yeshua while at the same time never had any energy to try to accept Him for whom He claimed to be… God and Messiah.  The same is still true for many people today. They spend all their effort trying to explain away Yeshua rather than accepting Him as Lord and submitting their lives to Him.

We have been discussing the earlier scriptures in Matthew 22 which document a list of questions which were brought to Yeshua and His answers.  He answered every question with clarity and wisdom. Still they are reluctant to consider He may indeed be who He says He is… Messiah. Finally, He asks them a question in return.

Matthew 22:41-46

      41Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: 42“What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” 43He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying,

      44‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD,
“SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,
UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET”’?

45“If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” 46No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

After responding to the questions He was asked, Yeshua then challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees with a question. They could not answer it and realized Yeshua was much wiser than they… but they still refused to acknowledge Him as Messiah and God. Their minds were already made up and they were not seeking truth and understanding… instead they sought only to discredit Jesus.

The question Yeshua asked them was actually quite important… and it was clear they did not understand it. Yeshua was pointing out that the anticipated Messiah was not just a descendant of David, a secular king or prince. If so, how could David, as an ancestor, call him Lord. No, the Messiah was not only “Son of God” but “God in the flesh”. Hence, David called Him Lord. Yeshua at once opened a door to show these men a deeper understanding of the Messiah and also revealed how little they truly understood. It is also very important to note that He did not simply claim something, like Messiah is God, and say the Spirit revealed it to Him. Rather He pointed to specific scripture to develop and prove the point. We should do likewise.

God invited the Pharisees and Sadducees to a deeper understanding of truth. They rejected the opportunity and instead stopped the conversation. They were unwilling to become humble and seek the wisdom Yeshua offered, but instead remained proud and plotted against Him. They had already made up their minds against Him.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to be humble and to seek You and learn from You. Help me submit to You and learn from You. Let me seek truth and follow evidence, which will lead me to You. May I not be so prideful as to miss what You have for me because I insist that I already know and already understand. Help me challenge and update my current understanding of truth based on Your word and Your spirit. Help me to fully embrace that Yeshua was not just a “good teacher” or prophet, but God in the flesh, come to dwell among us.  Help me to do as Yeshua did and look to Your Torah and the writing of the prophets to confirm the truth about You. Amen.

Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

Yeshua Identified Himself as Son of Man, Messiah

Some claim that Yeshua never claimed to be God, that He was only a prophet or teacher. This is simply and importantly not true. Here is one example where clearly He spoke in a way that communicated He was God. In Matthew 9, Yeshua is recorded as clearly claiming He could forgive sins, which the Jewish people associated with authority that God alone possessed. Further, Yeshua refers to Himself in the same passage as Son of Man, which refers back to Daniel 7 where we find a Messianic prophecy. Yeshua is clearing indicating that He is the Messiah anticipated in Daniel’s prophecy. This is confirmed by the response of those who did not believe He was God as they conclude He is blaspheming. They clearly understood what He was claiming.

Matthew 9:1-8

A Paralytic Healed

      1Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city.

      2And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” 4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5“Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? 6“But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” 7And he got up and went home. 8But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Daniel 7:13-14

13“I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.

      14“And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.

A few additional thoughts not to miss…

Yeshua points back to and validates the continued importance of the Torah and the writings of the prophets. They are not obsolete and have not lost any meaning with His coming in the flesh.

Yeshua validates fulfillment of the prophecy given Daniel and recorded in Daniel 7. We should be greatly encouraged about the authority of scripture when we see how prophecies made hundreds of years earlier are shown to come to pass. There are many such examples in scripture. We can also be encouraged that Yahweh is not surprised. He does not need a “plan B”. He knows all that will happen as if it has already happened.

Lastly, let us not overlook a miraculous healing Yeshua did to physically heal the man. I find it interesting when such a significant aspect of the scripture could almost be overlooked. There is a lot packed into this scripture!

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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.

Serve YHWH Willingly And With Humility

Reading the closing of 1 Peter, I am reminded that these letters were not written to us, but if we seek to understand the context under which they were written, we can certainly glean much wisdom from them.

The elders are called in 1 Peter 5 to shepherd the flock of YHWH, not because they “have to” but rather voluntarily… not for personal gain, but to fulfill the will of YHWH… not to be haughty and look down on those you lead, but to provide example of godly living.  We are reminded that although we are not to act just for personal gain, Yeshua will reward us when he returns. We are to be humble rather than proud.

There is much more to pay attention to in this chapter, so pay close attention as you read.

1 Peter 5

Serve God Willingly

      1Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.

      6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

      12Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! 13She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark. 14Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace be to you all who are in Christ.

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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.

Yeshua Is Our High Priest and Example

Yeshua is our high priest. He is truth and righteousness, holiness and peace. He is worthy of more glory than other servants like Moses and the prophets or Paul. He is our primary example to follow. Let us always test everything we understand against his life and teaching to ensure our understanding is correct. Let us take heed and not harden our hearts and insist on constantly testing him, but rather place in him our faith and trust and do as he instructs.

Hebrews 3:1-11

Jesus Our High Priest

       1Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; 2He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. 3For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. 4For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

      7Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,
“TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,

      8DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME,
AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,

      9WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me,
AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS.

      10“THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION,
AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART,
AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’;

      11AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,
‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.’”

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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.

Yeshua Is Higher Than The Angels

Hebrews 1 makes a strong statement about the importance of Yeshua as higher than the angels. If we would look to angels to bring us word from YHWH and we would obey, how much more so should we be carefully observing what Yeshua taught and how he lived as our example. Our lives, as faithful followers of Yeshua, should look a lot like his in how we act and treat people, how we obey, teach, and rebuke based on YHWH’s instructions, and yes in how we face persecution for our faith. We should test everything that others wrote about Yeshua and how he wants us to live against the model and example of how he actually demonstrated it. This includes testing Paul’s letter for proper interpretation. What we think we learn from Paul’s letters should not create a new and radically different way of living than Messiah did, but should build upon the law, the prophets, and the life of Messiah.

Hebrews 2:1-4

Give Heed

      1For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. 2For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, 3how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

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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.

We Do Well To Fully Obey The LORD

Israel was instructed by YHWH to make no covenant with the people living in the promised land. They were to displace them all. We don’t have a full record of the reasons why Israel failed to do this, but they failed. One could say they obeyed him in taking promised land, but they did not fully obey him in not making covenant with the people who lived there and they were supposed to tear down the altars to false gods. YHWH was not pleased.

We see in the beginning of chapter 2 a strong rebuke from YHWH to the people of Israel. They did not fully obey the LORD and there will be consequences. In this case, it is actually what I refer to with my children as a natural consequence. If you don’t clear out the people as instructed and tear down their altars, then their gods and their presence will give you trouble.

At this point the people wept, but it was too late. They had disobeyed.

Judges 1:27-2:5

Places Not Conquered

      27But Manasseh did not take possession of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; so the Canaanites persisted in living in that land. 28It came about when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.

      29Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer; so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

      30Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and became subject to forced labor.

      31Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob. 32So the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

      33Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; and the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath became forced labor for them.

      34Then the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the valley; 35yet the Amorites persisted in living in Mount Heres, in Aijalon and in Shaalbim; but when the power of the house of Joseph grew strong, they became forced labor. 36The border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.

Israel Rebuked

      1Now the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, 2and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done? 3“Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they will become as thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.’” 4When the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5So they named that place Bochim; and there they sacrificed to the LORD.

Let us take care to understand the importance of obeying YHWH fully and completely when he calls us to do something. Not everything we are called to do is written in his word. The Israelites had the Torah to instruct them, but YHWH had also spoken to them through Moses and through Joshua about specific guidance they were to take in regards to the promised land.  It was not enough to simply obey the Torah. They were also to obey the specific guidance that YHWH had given them for their current situation as well. The guidance was for their benefit.

It is important to develop our personal relationship with YHWH through prayer, study, and worship. Through this we continue to hear with more clarity from the Holy Spirit who dwells within followers of Yeshua. We should also check everything against the written word as well. We must obey YHWH in spirit and in truth.

John 4:23-24

23“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

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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.

YHWH Speaks Through Yeshua Our Messiah

Hebrews opens up with a powerful introduction focused on the importance and glory of our Messiah, Yeshua. It reminds us that YHWH has spoken to his people through the Torah (5 books of Moses) and the prophets and now speaks through Yeshua. We can plainly understand that YHWH is constant, unchanging and eternal. He did not now change what he has to say.

Malachi 3:6 6I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

James 1:17 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Yeshua was in fact the word become flesh to dwell among us Yeshua is co-eternal with the Father. He does not change either. (John 1:1-14)

All of the Torah, the prophets, Yeshua’s example and teaching, and the writings of Yeshua’s disciples do not contradict or change what YHWH has said from the beginning. If we think they do, it is our understanding that is flawed. They fit together seamlessly.

As we read through Hebrews 1 and reflect on the glory, power, and significance of Yeshua, let us not miss the fact that he does not simply love everyone as they are and their sinful behaviors and attitudes. Taken out of context, his love and grace can be made to seem like an invitation to keep living however we want to live, convincing ourselves he accepts us as we remain in sin.

Don’t overlook verse 9, in which we see that Yeshua has loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Lawlessness reflects the behavior in which we act according to our own ways instead of the clear instructions that the Lord has laid out for us.

Hebrews 1

God’s Final Word in His Son

      1God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

      5For to which of the angels did He ever say,
“YOU ARE MY SON,
TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”?
And again,
“I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM
AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”?

6And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says,
“AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”

7And of the angels He says,
“WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS,
AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.”

8But of the Son He says,
“YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER,
AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.

      9“YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS;
THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU
WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.”

10And,
“YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH,
AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;

      11THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN;
AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT,

      12AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP;
LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED.
BUT YOU ARE THE SAME,
AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END.”

13But to which of the angels has He ever said,
“SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,
UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES
A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET”?

14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

If Yeshua is this important, and he is, we should take care to live as he did, according to his example! Let us take great care to remember that he is our example. He was judged perfect against the standard of his fulfillment of the law of YHWH. The standard has not changed. We must resist the temptation to follow teaching within our society that continues to declare that because he obeyed YHWH’s law perfectly, now we don’t have to do so. He is our example, not our excuse! We must challenge hard any teaching that tells us we can and should act differently than the example he demonstrated.

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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.

The Gospel Of John Is True And It Is Only A Summary

The book of John closes with two important points, we should take care not to overlook. The historical records of Yeshua in the gospels are true. John was not written down by some people who heard stories, but by John himself, who witnessed these things. Secondly, he made no attempt to record all that Yeshua had done. He provided a summary of the wonders and teachings he witnessed.

John 21:24-25

   24This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

      25And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

Let that sink in as you reflect on all that the gospel tells us about Yeshua and his ministry. This is just a summary.

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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.