Category Archives: Am I on the path?

Am I on the path?, Church / Body of Christ, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Humility, Hypocrisy, Justice / Judgment, Love, Peace / Rest, Wise

Do Not Be Conformed to This World

How shall we treat one another as brothers and sisters in the faith? How shall we treat those who consider us their enemies? Let us not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so that we may prove that the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. We are to be different from the world even though we live within it.

Romans 12

Dedicated Service

      1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

      3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

      9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

      14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. 20“BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

What a fantastic summary of how we are to be in this world if we are to be disciples of Christ! When we live like this we are certainly not conformed to the world. Through the Holy Spirit we can continue striving to live according to these instructions.

This scripture is worth reading over a few times and prayerfully reflecting on each element as it applies in our lives. Are there areas we can be encouraged that we feel we are living up to these instructions? What are they for you? Are there areas that you find the Holy Spirit reminding you that you need to do better? What are they? Pray that God would help you on your journey to be more like Christ. This is a great summary of some key attitude and behavior elements to focus on.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead and guide me. Grant me deeper understanding of Your word. Help me to live according to Your instructions laid out by Paul in Romans 12. Help all of Your people to do so. Let us be a light to draw others to You.

In Yeshua’s name I pray. Amen. 

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.

Am I on the path?, Baptism, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus (hearing from God), Obeying God, Share the Good News, Submitted / Servant

The Great Commission – Make Disciples Of All The Nations

This is an important core teaching, so please take some extra time to read through it as it is a bit longer than perhaps an average post. It is worth it. Pray for the LORD to speak to you and guide you as you reflect on the message.

Yahweh came down to live among us in the person of Yeshua (Hebrew name of Jesus). Both fully man and fully God, He demonstrated a perfect sinless life of devotion and submission to the Father. He set a perfect example for us to learn from and replicate. Then Yeshua fulfilled the purpose for which He came through His suffering, death, and resurrection… providing a path for those of us who accept Him as Lord to be reconciled with our Father regarding the punishment of our sins.

After His resurrection, Yeshua gave a clear command to His disciples regarding what He wanted them to do. We should study this command and obey it as well. It not only applies to the disciples who walked with Yeshua during His earthly ministry, but to all who truly submit to Yeshua as Messiah and therefore commit to do His work and obey His will and honor His kingdom. The command may not be easy to follow, but neither was dying on the cross easy. Yeshua’s command should be very important to each of us that declare Him “Lord”.

Matthew 28:16-20

16But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Those of us who serve Christ have our marching orders, a mission if you will. Yeshua did not say… “Live comfortably and according to your own desires. When you feel like it and when it is convenient and easy, please consider telling others about me.” Not at all. Quite the opposite. Jesus commands us to go and make disciples of all the world! Do not think that this was easy for the disciples either, but rather it was a challenging task. Let’s examine the command a little more closely as we begin.

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

This statement clearly confirms to us that Yeshua has the full authority to speak for God. Yeshua’s tone is different now from earlier in His earthly ministry when He consistently said He could do only His Father’s will. He absolutely has authority over us and to refuse to obey His command is to rebel. You either obey or rebel. There is no “comfortable” middle ground where we sort of obey, but not fully.

But what is He asking us to do when He says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.”

“Go”

“Go” certainly seems clear. It is an action very different from “wait”. We should take action to fulfill the request, not wait for people to come to us and ask about Yeshua.

“therefore”

“Therefore” refers to the sentence preceding… because Yeshua has all authority, He has authority over us and He is commanding us to perform this mission. We either obey or rebel. There is no comfortable and convenient middle ground.

“…and make disciples…”

To make “disciples” is to make “learners”, people who can learn about Yahweh and then, once ready, teach others. We are not commanded to make “converts”, who accept Yeshua, but then require constant care and feeding (spiritually) from a pastor or other members of the body of Christ. We are to first lead them to conversion and then prepare the new followers of Christ to be able to “feed” themselves, growing in their relationship with the Lord for the rest of their lives. This obviously implies that we, too, must learn first how to feed ourselves and become mature disciples of Yeshua, seeking and submitting to the Father and obeying His word while constantly learning to know Him more intimately.

“…of all the nations…”

Of whom are we to make disciples? Just those like us? Just those nearby or just those far away? No. We are to make disciples of “all the nations”. To accomplish this we will clearly have to work together as the body of Christ, united in one mission… one purpose… each using the gifts and abilities Yahweh has given us to fulfill this great commission. Everyone must participate; no one can sit on the sidelines just watching and letting others complete the mission. Notice He does not command us to make disciples of all the people… as many will reject Him and we can not force someone to accept Yeshua. But we are to bring the message around the world so all can hear the good news of the gospel.

“…baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…”

Baptism is important because it represents a public proclamation of submission to our Creator. Yeshua commands us to publicly acknowledge Him before others. There is no such thing as a private or secret faith. Such faith is not faith at all. Many ask if the name of Yahweh matters… YES, the name matters. God revealed through Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is very different than other false gods and false representations of God. God revealed through Father, Son, ands Holy Spirit is, by definition, different than even the incorrect Jewish belief that worships the God of the Old Testament (which is correct), but rejects Yeshua as God (incorrect). All religions are not equal. Only one is correct. This is not opinion. They contradict one another. Those who accept Yeshua will have eternal life with Yahweh, those who follow other gods will be separated from Him for eternity in hell… as a result of their own choice to reject Him. If this is a hard teaching and you want to reject it, your argument is not with me, but with our Father, Himself.

“…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…”

How can we teach others if we do not first learn ourselves? We must study and seek Yahweh consistently and for a lifetime. Do not only read the Bible in a year. Read it over and over for a lifetime. Focus on understanding and applying rather than just reading a target number of pages in an arbitrary timeline such as a year. Reading scripture was not helpful to the Pharisees and religious leaders as they were not truly applying it correctly. They read it, and memorized it, but did not fully understand and apply it correctly. Truly there was more rejoicing in heaven for the sinners who repented and sought forgiveness in Yeshua, despite not knowing the scriptures well, than for all the “learned” and “well read” scholars that refused to submit to Yahweh. That said, when we submit to Yeshua, we must take on the serious work of reading scripture and understanding it and applying it in our lives.

Note also that Yeshua commands us to obey and teach others to obey “all that I commanded you”. All means all. Those truly submitted to Christ do not get to pick and choose which of His teachings they want to follow and which they reject because they do not like them or understand them or because they are unpopular. Righteousness is unpopular. So is holiness. So was Yeshua. Seek to please the Father rather than men. Obey and teach all that Yeshua commanded.

Just for clarity, this includes observing the laws given by Yahweh through Moses in the Torah, or first 5 books of the Bible, to the extent they have not been fulfilled by Yeshua. (We should be careful in studying what has been fulfilled and what has not. Yeshua clearly states he did not come to abolish the law.)

Matthew 5:17-19

17“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The earthly ministry of Yeshua did not change right and wrong so as to lead us away from following Yahweh’s law or “set us free” from Yahweh’s law. Rather Yeshua constantly lived the example of honoring the law including things like honoring Sabbath and celebrating Passover, which have been incorrectly tossed aside by mainstream Christianity today. For more on this subject, read our teaching on Understanding The Law – What Does It Mean For Us Today?

“… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

It is amazing and at times overwhelming how much significance is contained inside this command from Yeshua, commonly called the Great Commission. To obey such a command may seem a daunting or intimidating task. So, too, it must have seemed to the disciples when Yeshua first commanded them. That is why He finishes by assuring them that He will be with them throughout this mission and beyond.

We now have the benefit of seeing the successes and failures of God’s people in living out the Great Commission 2000 years later. While individuals and groups of people often fail, God has none the less used many courageous servants to spread the good news of the gospel across the world. (For more on the gospel, read our teaching The Message Of The Cross – Salvation.)

But there is much more work to be done. The mission is not complete. Now it is our turn!

How do we begin such a task? Study and follow the example of Jesus Christ. Likewise, we can study how others, like Paul or Moses or Elijah practiced discipleship to share God’s word. We explore this in more detail in our teaching, The Great Commission – Personal Discipleship Plan.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father help draw me near to You and open my eyes to Your wonderful ways. Let me not live for men or for myself, but rather for You. Help show me how to live out the great commission consistent with Your calling for me. Amen. 

Shalom

Teaching by John in service to Christ

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

Am I on the path?, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Righteous

Shall We Sin to Demonstrate the Grace of God?

All of us are guilty of failing to meet Yahweh’s righteous standard in our behavior and our thoughts. There is not even one person who is sinless among us. Only Yeshua lived a perfect and sinless life.

Knowing that we are saved by grace, through faith and not by our own perfect obedience to the law of God some argue that we should freely sin and do whatever we want in order to highlight and even demonstrate the grace of Yahweh in forgiving us. Others suggest that we can just do anything because God will forgive us or has already forgiven us. This idea is tempting because it invites us to behave and think any way we want to and deceives us that we are still saved by our relationship with Yeshua.

Here is the essential deception… if we truly believe Christ is Messiah and submit to Him, we follow His example. We live as He did. Yeshua demonstrated perfect obedience to the Father in the law. He was sinless. Never did Yeshua sin intentionally or accept sin in others as tolerable because they could be forgiven. The message is always “repent of your wrong ways and turn toward God’s ways asking forgiveness”.

So, how then can we claim to have a saving faith in Messiah, but intentionally and willfully do the opposite of what He taught? We cannot. Our obedience is the evidence of our faith. We will not have perfect obedience, but we should never be willfully tolerating sin and accepting or normalizing it.

Romans 3:1-20

All the World Guilty

      1Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

4May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,
“THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS,
AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.”

5But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.

      9What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;

10as it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

      11THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

      12ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

      13“THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”
“THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;

      14“WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;

      15“THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,

      16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,

      17AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”

      18“THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

      19Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

The law of God opens our eyes to what is right and what is sin. Those who wholeheartedly submit to the Yahweh through Yeshua will not willfully disobey His instructions and example.

Prayerfully consider in your life what sins you are tolerating and normalizing for yourself or others around you. Pray for Yahweh’s help to change your heart and repent. Do not accept a sin just because someone you love will not give it up. You can love the person and reject the sinful behavior. In fact, that is a good way to lead someone you are close to away from that sinful behavior and toward righteousness.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead Your people to reject sin and embrace Your law and the example set by Yeshua in how we should live and interact with You and one another. Please raise up righteous leaders like Paul to help guide Your people across the world. Thank You for Your grace and forgiveness. Let us not take advantage of that to live apart from You in willful disobedience. Amen. 

 

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

Am I on the path?, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, False Prophets / Teachers, Money / Finances / Wealth, Persecution / Glorifying God, Share the Good News

Portrait of One Who Lived Submitted to Christ

After meeting Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul lived a life that serves as a good portrait of one who lived submitted completely to Jesus Christ. Paul truly died to self and took up his cross to follow after Christ.

Matthew 16:24-27

      24Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.

As he prepared to leave for Jerusalem, Paul met with local elders of the church to remind them about his personal life lived as example as one submitted to Christ. It was filled with hardship and uncertainty, but also hope and joy in all circumstances. Paul provides a good summary of how we should approach our lives submitted to Christ. We do well to read carefully as if Paul were writing this to us and try to apply it in our lives today.

Acts 20:17-38

Farewell to Ephesus

      17From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. 18And when they had come to him, he said to them,
“You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; 20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22“And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. 24“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

      25“And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. 26“Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27“For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 28“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29“I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31“Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. 32“And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33“I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. 34“You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. 35“In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

      36When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, 38grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.

As we consider this portrait of living for Christ, Paul reveals several key elements we should carefully consider and apply in our own lives, not matter what our work or ministry.

  • Serve God with humility, even through trials and tears.
  • Do not shrink from teaching truth and repentance, regardless of consequences to you personally.
  • Remember that our life’s purpose is not our own when we are submitted to Christ. Our purpose is to wholeheartedly seek after the work God assigns us to further His kingdom.
  • Be on guard for false teaching and those who would draw you away from Christ. The threat comes both from those outside the church as well as from among the church. People will pervert God’s word to draw disciples after themselves.
  • Do not cease to admonish one another so that we help one another to remain in Christ and in His truth.
  • In testing for false teaching, admonishing, and living for Christ we must look to God and to the word of God as our unchanging source of truth.
  • Work hard to provide for yourself and do not covet someone else’s wealth.
  • Help the weak.
  • Pray for one another in genuine love and concern. Create a community of brothers and sisters in Christ that truly love and care for each other.

Ask yourself… “How does this teaching from Paul apply to my life today?” and then take action to make any course corrections you need to live fully submitted to Christ.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, You and You alone are God. There are none like You! There are none who do the works You can do! Your ways are high above our ways, but You still take notice of us. You invite us into relationship with You. Help each of us, as Your followers and servants, to live according to the principles that Paul highlights in scripture. Help us to be bold and courageous. Help us to see beyond ourselves to Your mission. Help us to know Your specific direction for our lives. Help us admonish one another in love and teach the pure word of truth. Help us be on guard against those who will bring a false teaching to lead others astray for their own purposes. Thank You for the Holy Spirit so that we do not have to do this alone! Amen. 

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.

Am I on the path?, How do I get started?, Tongue / Gossip / Slander

The Tongue Can Bring Death or Life

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. Proverbs 18:21

Proverbs has a way of concisely summing up great wisdom into ways that we can remember and apply more easily. We do well to periodically reflect on how we are using our tongue (or other communication) to bring life or death.

James commented quite a bit on this subject as well.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19

 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. James 1:26

Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. James 3:9
 

I encourage you to read all of James 3 as James expounds a great deal more on the power of the tongue in a very relevant way.  I could not say it any better than he does.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to control my tongue. I want to bring life rather than death with my words. Help me to edify You through my life and my speech. Amen. 

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.

Am I on the path?, Devotions by John, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables, Salvation, Share the Good News

The Parable of the Railroad Tracks

We begin by studying a modern-day parable. While this is not a Biblical parable, it is based on Biblical truth and used to help us understand the urgency of God’s instructions to us. Then we will explore further in scripture.

A car with three men inside came to be stuck on the railroad tracks at a railroad crossing on a cold, rainy night.  The three men had certainly heard of trains and were aware that cars were sometimes hit by trains, but did not really believe it to be likely. While the car was stuck, they remained inside because it was more comfortable than stepping outside. They decided to call a tow truck and wait in the car until it arrived or until the rain stopped.

 A man was walking along in the rain, wet and hurried. He wanted to reach his destination quickly and get out of the cold rain. He saw the car stuck on the railroad tracks and briefly thought about checking to see if they needed help. Instead, he walked on assuring himself that it was not his business to get involved and saying that he was sure it would all be fine in the end. Surely they had a phone. Surely help was already on the way. There was danger, but it was not urgent.

A second pedestrian came by and also noticed the car stuck on the tracks. He was wet and cold, too, but felt God would want Him to check on the men and warn them of the danger. He walked over to the car and spoke with the men inside briefly. He warned them that the trains usually come at night and there was real danger. The men inside did not listen, but actually seemed to get aggravated. One even made fun of the man outside the car and told him to go away. The driver did not want to leave his nice comfortable car, especially when it was uncomfortable outside. So they insisted they would wait in  the car.  Not wanting to offend or be considered foolish, the second pedestrian left quickly and went on about his way, shaking his head and thinking to himself that the fools deserved whatever trouble they brought on themselves.

The third pedestrian came along and spoke the same, true warning as the second pedestrian to the men in the car. He warned them about the danger from the train. He said it was urgent, the train always came about this time of night. The passengers of the car mocked him and told him to go away. They would be fine. The tow truck would be coming soon. The third pedestrian considered leaving, but instead he tried again, warning them of the urgency of getting out of the car. He pointed to the warning lights that now had started to go off and said he heard the train whistle. The driver did not want to hear it and said he was fine. He said the lights often go off on their own, probably a malfunction due to the storm. He did not hear the train whistle over the sound of thunder. Finally one of the men in the car got out of the car, with two remaining behind. The third pedestrian hurried the passenger safely away from the car. When the two remaining passengers saw the light from the train, it was too late, they did not know what to do. The train could not stop. Both men perished. Only the one that responded to the warning was saved and only because the third pedestrian persisted in the urgency of the message.

Who served God best? The man who walked by without saying anything? the second man who tried but quickly gave up when mocked? or the third man that shouted the truth even when others mocked him and pushed him away?

If not for the third man, who persisted in the warning, all in the car would have perished. How sad that people deny the impending danger of the train… of hell. They deny the need for a change … a need to die to self and submit to Christ to be saved and thus they perish. But how glorious that God, in His love for us, has made a way for us to be saved!

Christian evangelism is the sharing of the gospel of Christ with those who have not yet received Jesus as Lord and submitted their lives to Him. To share the good news of the gospel… that God loves us so much He became man in the person of Jesus Christ and suffered, died, and rose again to pay the price for our sins. It is always good news! God provides the answer to all of the wickedness of the world, but we must choose Jesus instead of the ways of the world.

For those of us who submit to Christ, evangelism must not be a casual thing or something we do “if we have time” or “when convenient”. It is not something that only some Christians do… but something we are all instructed to do. Jesus Christ commands us to go and make disciples of all the nations.

Matthew 28:18-20

 18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Followers of Jesus should recognize the urgency of sharing the gospel. Those who do not come to accept the offer of salvation through Jesus will perish… will suffer eternal separation from God. How can they accept and submit to Jesus if no one shares the gospel?

Isaiah 52:7

7How lovely on the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who announces peace
And brings good news of happiness,
Who announces salvation,
And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Romans 10:13-17

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? 15How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news of good things!”

When we obey the command of Jesus to go and make disciples of all the nations, not everyone will accept Jesus, but we can trust God that when we obey His command, He will be with us and help it to be effective.

Isaiah 55:10-11

10“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

11So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Each of us should take time to consider the following in our personal life:

  • Am I a disciple of Jesus? or just someone who accepted Him once and goes to church?
  • Am I constantly learning more about how He wants me to live through studying scripture and prayer and changing my behaviors and attitudes to submit to Him? or am I doing things my way, convinced my way is “good enough”.
  • If I am not a disciple, than how can I go and make disciples of others?
  • If I am a disciple, than am I going and making disciples of others?

To learn more about being and making disciples, please study our teachings, The Great Commission – Making Disciples of All The Nations and The Great Commission – Personal Discipleship Plan.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to be eternally minded, not focused solely on the matters of this world that surround me every day. Help me to see people through your eyes and not my own. Let me have a heart to desire to help others to find Christ, the courage to do so even taking personal risk, and the wisdom to know how to be effective. Help me to remember also that I can not save anyone by myself but it is only through your Holy Spirit that they will turn to you. Help others be willing to make the choice to submit to and follow you when confronted by the truth of the gospel. Help me not give up or be discouraged if I can not see the affects of my efforts to share Christ with others. You may be working in them in ways I will not witness personally. 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.

Am I on the path?, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Purposeful / Intentional, Share the Good News

God Has Not Given Us a Spirit of Fear and Timidity

Jesus calls us to speak the truth courageously, share the gospel with love, and to demonstrate self-discipline as we represent Him in how we live.

People around us will pressure us to accept everything as an equivalent point of view and then the same people turn around and attack Christians who stand up for truth because it is not what they want to hear.

2 Timothy 1:5-14 shows us important points we should understand.

To fulfill God’s call we must begin with genuine faith and keep growing it. This does not mean blind faith, but rather faith we hold because of the overwhelming evidence of the truth of the gospel.  Faith that grows with our ever-growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

We must fan into flames the spiritual gifts God has given us. We must practice and work at it intentionally to get the most out of it… just like building up any muscle in our body. It does not just land in our lap ready to go with power to move mountains.

We are called to live a holy life, one that is set apart for God’s purposes. We are not to live as the non believers do. If we as Christians are not the light, then how shall anyone else find their way to Jesus Christ?

We are called to carefully guard the precious truth and not let anyone corrupt it or compromise it. God’s word is 100% true and sufficient.

Think about your life… are you different for Jesus Christ, even if you will face hardship for Him? or do you blend in?  The light should not be placed under a bushel basket but on the lampstand to provide light for all.

I found it helpful in my life to start stepping out for Christ in little ways first to practice overcoming timidity… at the coffee pot, the water cooler, at the ballpark… even amongst other Christians (who tend to be a supportive audience for this message).

2 Timothy 1:5-14

I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him.

With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News.

And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.
I invite you to pray with me:
Father, please build up my faith and boldness as Your follower and disciple. Please also do so for Your followers everywhere, that we would be bold for You and not timid. Help us to have a passion to guard and share the precious truth that has been entrusted to us. Amen. 
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.

Am I on the path?, Church / Body of Christ, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, How do I get started?, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Money / Finances / Wealth, Purposeful / Intentional, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant, Teachable

I Know I Am Not Walking with God Correctly. How Do I Get Started?

The people came together in Nehemiah 9 to confess their sins and the sins of their fathers and to repent and turn back to the ways of the LORD. They were, as a community, recommitting themselves to God and His ways. As an extra visible step and commitment, the leaders, priests, and Levites signed a written document. Truly, I believe this was symbolic. What was contained, including the curse of disobedience, is already part of the law of God and coming into relationship with Him. (Read Deuteronomy 28 for more on the curse of disobedience and blessing of obedience.)

The people were firmly recommitting to God publicly and personally as a community of believers. I believe this helps establish a framework to help each other to hold to the law and encourage one another. This is powerful.

Nehemiah 10

Signers of the Document

      1Now on the sealed document were the names of: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, 2Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, 4Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah. These were the priests. 9And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; 10also their brothers Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. 14The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, 19Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, 24Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, 27Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

Obligations of the Document

      28Now the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, all those who had knowledge and understanding, 29are joining with their kinsmen, their nobles, and are taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law, which was given through Moses, God’s servant, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of GOD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes; 30and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. 31As for the peoples of the land who bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the sabbath or a holy day; and we will forego the crops the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.

      32We also placed ourselves under obligation to contribute yearly one third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: 33for the showbread, for the continual grain offering, for the continual burnt offering, the sabbaths, the new moon, for the appointed times, for the holy things and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.

      34Likewise we cast lots for the supply of wood among the priests, the Levites and the people so that they might bring it to the house of our God, according to our fathers’ households, at fixed times annually, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law; 35and that they might bring the first fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all the fruit of every tree to the house of the LORD annually, 36and bring to the house of our God the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks as it is written in the law, for the priests who are ministering in the house of our God. 37We will also bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the new wine and the oil to the priests at the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithe of our ground to the Levites, for the Levites are they who receive the tithes in all the rural towns. 38The priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes, and the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. 39For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of the grain, the new wine and the oil to the chambers; there are the utensils of the sanctuary, the priests who are ministering, the gatekeepers and the singers. Thus we will not neglect the house of our God.

I find it interesting what they highlighted specifically. It shows they wanted to place extra emphasis on these things beyond just “obey the law”, even if they were already contained in the law. As we read, reflect on our society today and how far we have drifted.  If someone is trying to dedicate themselves to returning to God’s ways, that is precisely what Nehemiah and the people who signed this document were doing. This is a great place to start for personal application in our lives today!

  • Observe the commandments, statutes, and ordinances of the law. Christians today largely ignore this as obsolete or pick and choose which ones to obey. (For more, read Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean Today?)
  • Do not intermarry with people of different faiths. This will draw us away from Yahweh. This one is not emphasized as strongly today, but it is still there in most Christian communities.
  • Do not do business with others on sabbath, even if they are not themselves observing sabbath and following Yahweh. This instruction has largely been left behind by modern day Christians, along with truly observing the sabbath as a day of rest.
  • Forego the extraction of debt and planting of crops every 7th year. This is certainly a topic we don’t talk much about today in Christian circles.  Most of us would need to do more research to simply understand what was being instructed and how to apply it. This could make for an interesting Bible study for each of us.
  • Support and participate in the activities of the temple, including the sabbaths, new moons, and appointed times. We have no temple and priesthood today and thus cannot observe all that was instructed. However, I have found it rewarding to reinstate for my family observing sabbath and the appointed times as well as starting to recognize and observe the new moons. Certainly, this is not common among Christians. I would encourage each of you to learn more and observe these times the LORD called out. Sabbath was made for us and is a wonderful break in the week to rest and recharge. The other appointed times are focused on bringing us closer to Yahweh. Believe it or not, they each not only look back to the past before Messiah, but they all have meaning in Messiah as well. The spring appointed times look back at the first coming of Yeshua and the fall appointed times look forward to His return! (For more information, read Celebrating God’s Holy Days (Moedim))
  • Bring your first fruits and tithe to Yahweh. Again, without a temple and priesthood, we cannot observe this commandment as instructed. We can however make the leap to understand that we should put a priority on setting aside money we earn for the purpose of honoring God. This may be donating to a local or broader ministry, funding missionaries, helping the poor, or even helping people directly in your own life and giving the glory to God. The point is that we should remember that God wants our hearts and part of this is best demonstrated by setting aside money to support His work and bring Him glory!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for examples in scripture that remind us of important aspects of walking with You still today. Help renew our minds and spirit to embrace and pursue You and Your ways wholeheartedly. Bring us together in communities and raise up leaders to help guide us in the way we should go! Help us have the courage and discernment to turn away from things we should not be doing and pursue Your ways, even if they seem strange to us today. Amen. 

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.

Am I on the path?, Devotions by John, Marriage, Righteousness / Serving God

A Virtuous and Capable Wife Is More Precious Than Rubies

What is a virtuous wife? By what standard do we judge? Many people groups have identified different “virtues” over time. We certainly should take care to not just measure against our own preferences and call that virtuous. Similarly, we should not just accept culture’s definition of a virtuous wife. That standard changes over time. We should look to Yahweh and the scriptures He provided.

For example, In Proverbs 31:10-31 we are shown the picture of what it means to be a virtuous woman.

Proverbs 31:10-31

Description of a Worthy Woman

10An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.

      11The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.

      12She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

      13She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.

      14She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.

      15She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.

      16She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.

      17She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.

      18She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.

      19She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.

      20She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.

      21She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.

      22She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

      23Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.

      24She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.

      25Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.

      26She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

      27She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

      28Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:

      29“Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”

      30Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

      31Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

It is an amazing and timeless list. Some key principles summarized:

  • A virtuous woman respects and supports her husband. She is a very present help, not a hindrance.  Her husband can trust her.
  • A virtuous woman is an energetic, strong, and hard worker. She runs her household in a godly way. This is not an easy task!
  • A virtuous woman helps the poor and needy. Actively serves God in the home and with outreach outside the home.
  • A virtuous woman trusts God and diligently plans ahead. She has no fear of the future.
  • A virtuous woman speaks and gives instruction with wisdom and kindness.
  • A virtuous woman raises her children in a godly way. They stand and bless her.
  • A virtuous woman fears the Lord. She seeks to understand and live out God’s will with all her heart, soul, mind and strength.
  • A virtuous woman should be rewarded and praised! Do not forget this one husbands and fathers of girls.

Women… do not be discouraged. God does set the bar high and challenges us to strive toward it rather than rationalize why we should lower the bar or why today it does not apply. But He knows we are not perfect. It is a goal to work toward, a journey that will never be completed but transforms your life on the way.  Start by taking it in pieces one day at a time. Link up with other Christian women who share a passion to honor God in this way.  (Check out links to two online women’s ministries at bottom of post.)

Husbands… we don’t get off easy either. Ephesians 5:25 calls us to love our wives as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for the church and we are to give our lives to serve and lead the ones we love. Measuring up to Jesus Christ is a target we can never achieve, but we are called to work toward it!

Proverbs 31 Ministries and a virtuous woman.org are two separate ministries with an online presence that help women in the midst of their busy lives grow toward becoming a Proverbs 31 woman.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for helping us to have clear record of Your standards. Thank You for raising up virtuous women who want to strive to live according to Your instructions. Raise up more and more virtuous women to live to Your standard for excellent wives. Help daughters to learn from their example. Help husbands to appreciate and support them! Help the husbands also live up to Your standard in Ephesians 5:25 for them as well. In this way, help Your people be set apart from others and be blessed and joyful. 

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.

Am I on the path?, False Prophets / Teachers, Heaven and Hell

Am I On the Path? Are My Children? Is My Church?

We do well to routinely take time from our busy lives to reflect on God’s word and on how we are applying it in our lives. God Himself shows us in Genesis 1:1 by taking time as He created the heavens and the earth. As he reaches milestones in the creation, He reflects on it and takes time to evaluate it … “and God saw that it was good.”

Many of us have accepted Yeshua and want to serve Him, but it is not always clear if we are walking on the right path in the way we live our lives. Are we honoring Him? obeying Him? What about our church or others we trust and listen to? How do we know if they are giving good advice and direction?

Matthew 7:13-23

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

15“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will [p]know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? 17So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20So then, you will know them by their fruits.

21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

Always test what someone tells you about Yeshua against scripture in the Bible. There are wolves who pretend to be among God’s sheep! To effectively serve Yeshua and avoid traps from the enemy we must routinely read and study God’s word ourselves. Daily is best but start with as often as you can. Don’t try to speed read or take in big chunks all at once. Take in the Bible like you would a good meal… one bite at a time, savoring each for what flavor it brings you. You will never regret it!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead Your people to be discerning and wise. Help us to have a hunger to search out and understand Your word. Please let the Holy Spirit guide us and open our minds to better understand the truth! Help us to challenge and test every teacher and source against Your scriptures. Amen. 

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.