Category Archives: Courage / Fear

Comforter, Courage / Fear, Devotions by John, Guide, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God

Storms Will Come. How Shall We React?

Storms will come in our lives, both literal and metaphorical. We need not guess about this nor doubt it. Serving Yeshua does not exempt us from this fact. Yeshua Himself warned us. One such scripture is in Matthew 7, where Yeshua speaks of storms coming to those who heard His words and acted on them.

Matthew 7:24-27

The Two Foundations

      24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

There have certainly been a lot of storms across our nation recently. There has been a lot of divisiveness, especially driven by politicians seeking power rather than truth. There has been the issue of sickness amplified by government intrusion into personal liberties. Many are losing their jobs and concerned for their health. There are consistently events like hurricanes or wild fires that physically threaten many. Many are persecuted in varying levels across the globe for their faith in Yeshua. What are we to do?

Matthew 14 gives us a clear picture. We are to call out to Yeshua, listen for His instruction, trust in Him even when there is a storm around us. We are to draw closer to Him, even if it feels risky, like getting out of the boat. Perhaps most important, we are to focus on Yeshua rather than the storm around us.

Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus Walks on the Water

      22Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

      28Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”

I encourage each of you to prayerfully reflect on how you are reacting to the storms around you. I found that I was focusing too much on the wind and waves, the stresses and worries around me. I was not focused enough on Yeshua and trusting Him. Yes I was seeking Him, but like Peter I kept getting distracted by the storm. I was not experiencing the joy and peace that I can have in Christ.

One last encouraging thought, always remember that Yeshua is more powerful than the storms, no matter what storms you face.

Matthew 8:23-27

     23When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to seek you always, especially in a storm. Help me to keep my focus on You and Your power rather than being distracted by the wind and waves of the storms around me. 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.

Courage / Fear, Faithful, Guide, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant

Know, Love, and Serve the LORD for His Glory

David’s address about the temple in 1 Chronicles 28 is full of meaning. Though David was told he would not be the one to build the temple, which he wanted to build, he worked diligently to prepare the plans, his son and the people so that all was ready to go for Solomon. We should all seek to have such a productive response when God does not grant us the things we ask for or desire.

1 Chronicles 28

David’s Address about the Temple

      1Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that served the king, and the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, and the overseers of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, with the officials and the mighty men, even all the valiant men. 2Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brethren and my people; I had intended to build a permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it. 3“But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ 4“Yet, the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. 5“Of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 6“He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a father to him. 7‘I will establish his kingdom forever if he resolutely performs My commandments and My ordinances, as is done now.’ 8“So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek after all the commandments of the LORD your God so that you may possess the good land and bequeath it to your sons after you forever.

      9“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 10“Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act.”

      11Then David gave to his son Solomon the plan of the porch of the temple, its buildings, its storehouses, its upper rooms, its inner rooms and the room for the mercy seat; 12and the plan of all that he had in mind, for the courts of the house of the LORD, and for all the surrounding rooms, for the storehouses of the house of God and for the storehouses of the dedicated things; 13also for the divisions of the priests and the Levites and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD and for all the utensils of service in the house of the LORD; 14for the golden utensils, the weight of gold for all utensils for every kind of service; for the silver utensils, the weight of silver for all utensils for every kind of service; 15and the weight of gold for the golden lampstands and their golden lamps, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for the silver lampstands, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps according to the use of each lampstand; 16and the gold by weight for the tables of showbread, for each table; and silver for the silver tables; 17and the forks, the basins, and the pitchers of pure gold; and for the golden bowls with the weight for each bowl; and for the silver bowls with the weight for each bowl; 18and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the model of the chariot, even the cherubim that spread out their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

      19“All this,” said David, “the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern.”

      20Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished. 21“Now behold, there are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God, and every willing man of any skill will be with you in all the work for all kinds of service. The officials also and all the people will be entirely at your command.”

For David, it was all about God and God’s glory, not about himself. I ask God to help me to be more like this in my attitude.  I want to come back over a few verses for emphasis.

      9“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 10“Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act.”

This is guidance we should all follow, no matter what He calls us to do:

  • Know God and serve Him with whole heart and willing mind. The LORD knows and cares about our intentions and attitude. He cares about “why” we do something, and not just “what” we do.
  • If you seek Him, He will let you find Him. Do not expect full revelation of God from one brief encounter. To seek Him is an active and ongoing action in our lives. It takes time to build relationship with anyone, and God is no exception.
  • If you forsake Him, He will reject you.
  • Whatever God calls each of us to do, be courageous and act. We must take action and in many cases it will require some courage. Do not expect what He asks you to do to be easy.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help myself and all Your people to know and serve You with our whole heart and willing mind. Help us be hungry to seek You and to find You. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us. Let us not forsake You, either when times are good or bad. Give us courage to act and fulfill whatever You call us to do. 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.

All Powerful / King of All, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Protector / Deliverer

Standing with Yahweh, Facing Giants

 

It is interesting to read about David and his men facing and defeating more giants like Goliath. There is not a lot of context provided for deeper thought but a few things come to mind.

  • If we stand with and for Yahweh, we will face giants that come against Him.
  • It will not typically be only one giant that stands defiantly against the LORD.
  • When we stand with and fight on the LORD’s side, He can bring us victory even over mighty enemies or challenges.
  • We do well to stand together as God’s people and not to stand alone. We find strength in fighting alongside one another.

1 Chronicles 20:4-8

      4Now it came about after this, that war broke out at Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the giants, and they were subdued. 5And there was war with the Philistines again, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 6Again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot; and he also was descended from the giants. 7When he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. 8These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

We will not all face physical giants in armed combat. In fact, almost all of us will not face anything directly like this at all. However, we will all face challenges and obstacles and enemies that come against God if we submit to Him and seek to boldly do His work. We can find victory through Him and His power. We do not need to overcome by our own strength and power.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for my brothers and sisters in Christ who stand with You and with me against the wicked in the world, against those who defy You. Please help us have victory against Your enemies that come against us and against You. Raise up the righteous and sustain them. Scatter and defeat the wicked. Let the glory and honor be all to You and Your holy name. 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.

Church / Body of Christ, Courage / Fear, His Ways Are Not Our Ways

Bravery, Courage, Warriors and the Ability to Wage War… These Are All Good Things

Some people seem to get confused and associate all soldiers and all war with murder and act as if soldiers of war are bad. This is quite frankly not the case. The ability to wage war as a nation is very important for maintaining peace. The wicked will come on those who they perceive can not well defend themselves. This philosophy today is called peace through strength. Who wants to attack someone who has a better and stronger military than they do? Nobody with their wits about them.

In 1 Chronicles 12 we see David’s brave and powerful soldiers called out for their abilities to fight. They are portrayed rightly in glory and honor for their gifts. It is not the army or the ability to wage war that is bad, but only if some wage war for the wrong purposes. In that regard waging war is much like having a knife. If you use it as a cutting tool or, if necessary to defend yourself, then it is a valuable tool. If you use it to murder someone, than you, and not the knife, have sinned.

David’s Supporters in Ziklag

      1Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped him in war. 2They were equipped with bows, using both the right hand and the left to sling stones and to shoot arrows from the bow; they were Saul’s kinsmen from Benjamin. 3The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah and Jehu the Anathothite, 4and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty. Then Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite, 5Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite, 6Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, Jashobeam, the Korahites, 7and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

      8From the Gadites there came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains. 9Ezer was the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 10Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh. 14These of the sons of Gad were captains of the army; he who was least was equal to a hundred and the greatest to a thousand. 15These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.

      16Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David. 17David went out to meet them, and said to them, “If you come peacefully to me to help me, my heart shall be united with you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look on it and decide.”

18Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was the chief of the thirty, and he said,
“We are yours, O David,
And with you, O son of Jesse!
Peace, peace to you,
And peace to him who helps you;
Indeed, your God helps you!”
Then David received them and made them captains of the band.

      19From Manasseh also some defected to David when he was about to go to battle with the Philistines against Saul. But they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines after consultation sent him away, saying, “At the cost of our heads he may defect to his master Saul.” 20As he went to Ziklag there defected to him from Manasseh: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, captains of thousands who belonged to Manasseh. 21They helped David against the band of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the army. 22For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God.

Supporters Gathered at Hebron

      23Now these are the numbers of the divisions equipped for war, who came to David at Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD. 24The sons of Judah who bore shield and spear were 6,800, equipped for war. 25Of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor for war, 7,100. 26Of the sons of Levi 4,600. 27Now Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron, and with him were 3,700, 28also Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father’s house twenty-two captains. 29Of the sons of Benjamin, Saul’s kinsmen, 3,000; for until now the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. 30Of the sons of Ephraim 20,800, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ households. 31Of the half-tribe of Manasseh 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king. 32Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command. 33Of Zebulun, there were 50,000 who went out in the army, who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war and helped David with an undivided heart. 34Of Naphtali there were 1,000 captains, and with them 37,000 with shield and spear. 35Of the Danites who could draw up in battle formation, there were 28,600. 36Of Asher there were 40,000 who went out in the army to draw up in battle formation. 37From the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons of war for the battle.

      38All these, being men of war who could draw up in battle formation, came to Hebron with a perfect heart to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one mind to make David king. 39They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them. 40Moreover those who were near to them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and on oxen, great quantities of flour cakes, fig cakes and bunches of raisins, wine, oil, oxen and sheep. There was joy indeed in Israel.

Today also “manliness” is under attack in many ways. There are many who want to push men and women to be more and more alike, instead of celebrating their differences.  Many want to discourage men from being the type of rough, tough, and brave men described in 1 Chronicles 12. Instead they want to encourage much more tame versions of men, that are more concerned with offending someone  who is very easy to offend than with embracing what God made them to be. There will always be someone who is offended, especially when we live for Yahweh. We must use discernment in how we let that affect our choices and attitudes. Yeshua offended many, and so did His disciples and the prophets. Offending someone can not be our measuring stick for godliness.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please open people’s eyes to Your word and Your truth. Let them not be confused on what is good and bad by the incorrect teachings of men. Help Your people focus on what is in Your word and give us insight to guide us. Deliver back to us a righteous nation and lift up the righteous. Help us to appreciate those soldiers and leaders who are part of a strong military so we do not have to fight to defend our nation. Help them to have courage and to embrace righteousness. Open their eyes to Your wonderful ways. Also, please help strengthen in our culture Your vision of what men should strive to become. 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.

Courage / Fear, Encouragement, Help / Serve Others

Be Truly Grateful for the Helpers the LORD Provides

We often think of how great King David was, but he was surrounded by other great, or mighty, men. It is seldom that a single person will achieve greatness all on their own. Even when Yahweh is moving, He often uses more than just a single individual.  As you read about David’s mighty men, do not think only from the perspective of you being like David, but also the perspective of you perhaps being one of the mighty men for someone else Yahweh has put in your life.

David’s Mighty Men

      10Now these are the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. 11These constitute the list of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, the son of a Hachmonite, the chief of the thirty; he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he killed at one time.

      12After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. 13He was with David at Pasdammim when the Philistines were gathered together there to battle, and there was a plot of ground full of barley; and the people fled before the Philistines. 14They took their stand in the midst of the plot and defended it, and struck down the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great victory.

      15Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam, while the army of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. 16David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 17David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 18So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David; nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD; 19and he said, “Be it far from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

      20As for Abshai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the thirty, and he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them; and he had a name as well as the thirty. 21Of the three in the second rank he was the most honored and became their commander; however, he did not attain to the first three.

      22Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, mighty in deeds, struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion inside a pit on a snowy day. 23He killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature five cubits tall. Now in the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. 25Behold, he was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three; and David appointed him over his guard.

      26Now the mighty men of the armies were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, 28Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, 29Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shagee the Hararite, 35Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur, 36Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 40Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43Hanan the son of Maacah and Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45Jediael the son of Shimri and Joha his brother, the Tizite, 46Eliel the Mahavite and Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, 47Eliel and Obed and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

The records of David’s mighty men are incredible. They are fun to read and reflect on. I think it is also good to look around in our own lives and think about who the “mighty men” are in our lives. Who are those people that are there to help us succeed, even when times are tough. Another perspective on it may be, for whom in our lives are we acting as one of the mighty men, to help and support them in whatever Yahweh has for them.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to appreciate and seek out those around me that You have provided to help me. Please also lead me to help others as You have intended. Help Your people stand together to accomplish what You call us to do. 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.

Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant

Will You Be Bold for Christ, Even With Personal Risk?

At the end of Matthew 27, we once again we see a stark contrast between how people react to Yeshua. Joseph of Arimathea boldly goes to Pilate to request Yeshua’s body, knowing full well that a whole crowd just called for His crucifixion when they shouted for Barabbas to be freed. Even Pilate was worried that the people would riot. Reflect for a few moments on how courageous and faithful Joseph was in his actions. He was also selfless in he gave up his own tomb to honor Christ.

By contrast, we can also see those who fear Christ even after they have murdered Him. They are not satisfied that He is dead, but now must ensure His name is also destroyed. They can only focus on the need to guard the tomb. They assume deception and treachery from Yeshua’s disciples. In truth it is a reflection of their own way of thinking and acting. The disciples were not crafty or deceitful. The chief priests and Pharisees were. The disciples did not plot and scheme or murder. Only the chief priests and Pharisees did that.

Matthew 27:57-66

Jesus Is Buried

      57When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.

      62Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, 63and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ 64“Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” 65Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” 66And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.

We do not always have a choice for all things that may happen to us in our lives, but we do have a choice about how we react to it. Perhaps like Joseph we will face times when the crowd is against Yeshua and we have to make a decision whether we will be intimidated or be bold for Christ. Will we choose to follow Christ and put our trust in Him, even if it may be at our own personal risk?  Or will we just be quiet and stay out of site?  I pray the LORD helps me to be bold for Him.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please grant me a boldness to stand firmly for You even when the crowd is against You, as Joseph of Arimathea did. 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.

Courage / Fear, Persecution / Glorifying God

Yeshua Was Mocked for Us. Are We Willing to be Mocked for Him?

Have you ever been mocked for standing up for Yeshua? Have you ever been in a situation where you felt intimidated not  to let others know you follow Him? We all know this is wrong, but we still may experience those emotions in some situations. Consider that Yeshua has experienced some very harsh mockery while paying the penalty for our sins. In fact, He was ruthlessly mocked until the very end while He was suffering a tortuous death, crucified on the cross. Ask the LORD to help you to have courage and strength to live boldly and unapologetically for Christ, as He stood for us.

Matthew 27:27-44

Jesus Is Mocked

      27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. 28They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. 31After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

      32As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.

      33And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, 34they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.

      35And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. 36And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. 37And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

      38At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads 40and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42“He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43“HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.

      45Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” 47And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” 50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please give me courage to stand firmly for You. Help me to live boldly and unapologetically for You, even when I face mockery or persecution. Help me to honor You with all aspects of my life. 

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.

Courage / Fear, Purposeful / Intentional

Will You Choose Yeshua? or Will You Go Along With the Crowd?

We all must decide in our lives… whom will we choose? Will we choose to follow the crowd or will we choose Christ? The crowd will demand we reject Christ.  Even in many churches today, the members do not live according to the word of God. They live more by the laws of man than those of God.  There are an absurd number of churches that can’t figure out if God changed His mind on homosexuality because some mortal judges passed a court ruling by one vote. They pursue the ways of men rather than those of God.

Often the seeming easy route, the route to be praised and accepted by men, will lead away from God. Perhaps it is subtle sometimes and often not subtle at all. The crowd will not draw you toward God. We must seek personal holiness and a relationship with our Father in heaven. We must pray, worship, and study. We must ask for the Spirit to lead us and be willing to obey and follow, even when it is difficult or uncomfortable. Then perhaps we may be ready and willing to stand for Christ when all others around us call out to crucify Him.

Matthew 27:11-26

Jesus before Pilate

      11Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. 13Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

      15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.

      19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. 21But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” 23And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”

      24When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” 25And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” 26Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Jesus chose obedience to the Father. Jesus chose to die for our sins so we may be forgiven. Whom will you choose? Decide ahead of time or you will likely fail when the situation is difficult around you.  Start by asserting yourself for Christ in small ways at first to gain confidence if you find that helpful. Take small steps until you are ready to take bigger ones. Pray for God to help you be bold for Him.

Keep in mind that in some cases you will not face an angry mob. You may face coworkers or friends at the coffee bar or in the office kitchen or at lunch. They may just be speaking against Christ and how He calls us to live in seemingly small ways. Will you stand up for Christ?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have courage and determination to choose You every time, in every situation. Help me to stand firm and courageously when needed, against the crowd and for You. Amen. 

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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.

 

Compassionate, Courage / Fear, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Guide, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant

You Will Deny Me Three Times

Peter was one of Yeshua’s closest disciples. He was a bold man and not timid. Consider Matthew 14:22-33 as one example, where Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on water. However, he failed Yeshua by denying Him three times. To be fair the situation was stressful and surprising. Peter had the courage to follow Yeshua as He was arrested. But when confronted, Peter denied Yeshua.

Was that the end of Peter’s ministry and service to the LORD? Absolutely not! The LORD forgave him and still used Him dramatically.

Matthew 26:31-35

      31Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ 32“But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” 34Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.

Matthew 26:69-75

Peter’s Denials

      69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” 73A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.” 74Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. 75And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

We can be encouraged by remembering Peter when we fall short and disappoint ourselves and God. We serve a forgiving and gracious God. If we repent and submit to His lordship, He can still use us and work through us! Do not give up on serving Him just because you make mistakes. Seek His help to increase your faith and boldness and ask the Spirit to lead and guide you more fully. Devote time to strengthening relationship with Him.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please forgive me when I fail You, in big or small ways. Help me acknowledge it and repent and rededicate myself to Your service. Let Your Holy Spirit dwell in me and lead and guide me more fully. Help me to be a faithful and bold servant and bring honor and glory to Your name. 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.

Church / Body of Christ, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Submitted / Servant

Are You Betraying Yeshua as Judas Did?

Judas’ betrayal of Yeshua was premeditated. He did not do this on the “spur of the moment”. He planned the betrayal and plotted with those who wished to do Yeshua harm. He did it for money.

Matthew 26:14-16

Judas’s Bargain

      14Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. 16From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.

While many of us will never be faced with something so direct in terms of being tempted to betray Yeshua as Judas, do not quickly pass over these verses saying to yourself, “I would never do that.” Pause and reflect. Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any areas in your life in which you may be choosing not to follow Yeshua completely because of some pressure or conflict within family or work or social media. Judas betrayed Yeshua for money. Many today may choose not to defend Yeshua for fear of losing their job or not getting a raise or because other people may come against their business.

Just like when Yeshua was walking among us in His earthly ministry, today there are many who wish to silence or destroy His teachings and any who share them. If we are to serve Him, we must stand up to this and boldly proclaim that He is LORD! Many who tell themselves that they would never do as Judas did, are doing exactly that, and often it may be for money.  The situation is just framed in a different context.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to boldly proclaim Your truth and stand firm in my faith in You as Messiah. Help me to live joyfully and gracefully even though others may come against me for my faith in You. Let there be no area of my life in which I am not willing to put You first and above all else. Protect Your people and raise up the righteous that the hearts of the people would turn again to You and away from the paths of wickedness. 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.