Category Archives: Am I on the path?

Am I on the path?, Am I too late?, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Mockers, Salvation

Views of the Cross

I want to share a good resource available to you at AnswersInGenesis.org. I visited their Ark Encounter in Kentucky and my family truly enjoyed it. Far too many present the historical event of the great flood and the ark as if it is a fairy tale. They present a Biblical view of the historical account and provide much more engaging material as well to help provide answers for how science and history line up with, not against, the Biblical word of God. I encourage all to make the trip if they can. They have another sister exhibit about 45 minutes away near Cincinnati as well, The Creation Museum. We enjoyed both and found both educational and stimulating.

The following is material from Views of the Cross tract from Answers in Genesis. You can order printouts from them online at the link I provided above.

Views Of The Cross (views-cross-tract PDF)

Examine Your Heart

Take a sincere look at your own life. Are you like the thief on the cross who mocked Jesus and remained obstinate, refusing to trust in Jesus Christ? Perhaps you are like the soldiers at the foot of the Cross gambling for Christ’s clothes. They were too distracted by worldly desires to realize they were part of the most important event in history.

Have you been too preoccupied by the busyness and cares of this world to consider your eternal destiny? If you are like any of these individuals, don’t wait until it is too late. Be like the repentant thief who confessed his sin to Jesus, asking for mercy. Turn from your sinful ways and call out to God, asking for His forgiveness. He is ready and willing to graciously forgive all who come to Him.

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

For more information, visit arkencounter.com/gospel.

—-

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?, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Scripture (e.g. Bible), Seeking God, Study the Word, Teachable

Torah Portions

The Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible, written by Moses) and the writings of the prophets are the scripture that Yeshua studied and taught from and likewise his disciples and Paul. There are many references to them throughout the New Testament. They are the foundation. They are not obsolete and meaningless as some would imply, but they can be challenging to understand in parts and in how to apply today. In large part this is because churches and seminaries do not teach all of it as relevant content to help is draw near to the LORD today.

We have all heard about plans to help read the Bible in a year. There is a similar, long standing concept by which the Torah portions are scheduled to be read over a year. I have started doing this with my family. There are many sites  available as reference and some not only provide the  references for each week, but also some teaching to support it. Some have broken it down for children as an audience and some have even 15 minute or less summaries for folks who may feel they can only invest that much each week. Others go deep and have hours of teaching.

I encourage you to try it and stick with it. You may be surprised what you learn. These are not meant to take you away from also studying the New Testament, but help you dive into all of God’s word.

  • TorahPortions/ffoz.com by First Fruits of Zion
  • BillCloud.com/audio-page/ has Torah Portions and Torah Tidbits by Shoreshim Ministries. It also has an excellent series I recommend called Returning to Our Roots.
  • Ruach Life with Yitro has some teaching available on youtube, simply search ‘Torah Portion Yitro’
  • MTOI.org by Messianic Torah Observant Israel has a weekly Torah study video you can join live or watch later on YouTube or Facebook.
  • Psalm119 Ministries has a series of weekly short videos called Parashah Points at 119ministries.com/teachings/video-teachings.
  • MessianicTorahPortions.com also included suggested New Testament scriptures alongside Torah portions weekly.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead and guide me to grow my understanding of Your whole word. Help me understand how to apply all of Your instruction to my life. Amen. 

Shalom

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?, Compassionate, Demons, Healer, Help / Serve Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind

Yeshua Made Time With the Father a Priority

Yeshua set an example for us in so many different ways. We do well to search them out in scripture and ask the Spirit to enlighten us and guide us in understanding and applying it in our lives.

How often might we say we want to have time to pray or study the word, but then we get busy and don’t follow through, or not as much as we know we should? There is an excellent example in Mark 1, where Yeshua was having a busy evening. Many ill and demon possessed people were brought to Him as sun set, ending Shabbat. It is written that the whole city had gathered at the door.

Mark 1:32-39

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

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

We do not need much imagination to realize it was a busy evening for Yeshua. In fact, even in the morning people were still looking for Him. In the midst of this busy time, and busy with very meaningful time spent healing people and casting out demons, Yeshua woke up early, while it was still dark, to go to a secluded place and pray.

He did not take the day off to rest, but rather got up to go and preach throughout Galilee. It is also interesting that He did not stay to help everyone who came to Him from the one location before leaving. He knew that He had come to preach across many towns, not just one or a few. He did not stay and heal every person. They were still looking for Him.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for sending Yeshua as an example for us as well as a Savior. Thank You for the written word and Your Spirit to lead and guide us. Help me to see others through Your eyes, with compassion and patience. Help me to put Your work and Your purpose ahead of my own comfort and rest. Encourage me to make time to pray and spend time with You rather than to make excuses why I can not. There is nothing I am doing that is more important that what Yeshua did when He was here in the flesh for a short, three year ministry. 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?, Arrogance, Consequences of Sin, Discerning / Judging, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, False Prophets / Teachers, Fear / Reverence for God, Pride, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Selfishness, Worldliness

When Yeshua Rebukes… We Should Pay Attention

We should pay careful attention to the rebukes Yeshua delivered to the religious leaders during His earthly ministry. Do not assume they only apply to them. Reflect carefully on how these rebukes may apply to us personally and those around us who may be in leadership positions today.

As you read the scripture below, a summary may be that the scribes and Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day, were all about outside appearances and elevating themselves and lead people away from Yahweh rather than to Him. They look good on the outside, but inside were hollow and empty in terms of a heart seeking the Father.

Matthew 23:13-36

Eight Woes

      13“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14[“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]

      15“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

      16“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’ 17“You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? 18“And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ 19“You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20“Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. 21“And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. 22“And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

      23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

      25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. 26“You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

      27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28“So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

      29“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31“So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32“Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

      34“Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, 35so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36“Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

This is a bold rebuke of the religious leaders of the day. To be honest, much of it still applies today, and not just to religious leaders. Do not miss verse 23, where we are reminded that the law is still relevant and important to obey. It is just made clear that there are some core elements that are more important than others. We should not neglect the core elements or the lesser. They are all important.

I suppose we can also recognize a reminder that many who will be sent to share truth will be rejected and persecuted, even by those who claim to be following Yahweh. This is also true today in many cases. People want to cling to the traditions of their fathers and culture around them instead of God’s ways.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to pursue You and Your ways passionately and completely. Let me not pursue just an outside appearance of righteousness for recognition by man. Help me to recognize truth from falsehood in regards to Your ways. Raise up more workers for the harvest, to teach Your ways. Let Your people not be deceived and led astray by worldly or arrogant men who claim Your name, but teach ways that are not Yours. Reveal them for the false teachers they are and let them fail in leading others astray. 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.

All Powerful / King of All, Am I on the path?, Blessed, Courage / Fear, Curse, Discipline / Guidance From God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Idols / False Gods, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Obeying God, Protector / Deliverer, Purposeful / Intentional, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant, Wickedness / Evil

Will We Follow Man’s Ways? or God’s?

We have been reading through 2 Kings about a line of kings who did evil in the LORD’s sight and led the people in false worship. Finally, we get to one who is righteous. Hezekiah becomes king of Judah. As we read through chapter 18-19  we will see that not everything goes his way. He faces significant adversity. However, when he turns to the LORD, He is victorious. As we begin in 2 Kings 18, we can see that the righteousness of Hezekiah is something special compared to all the other kings. We can also directly contrast his success to the failure of Israel, his neighbor, and the Bible clearly specifies that the reason is their refusal to obey God’s covenant with them.

2 Kings 18:1-12

Hezekiah Reigns over Judah

      1Now it came about in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king. 2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. 4He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. 5He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. 6For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses.

Hezekiah Victorious

      7And the LORD was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

      9Now in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. 10At the end of three years they captured it; in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was captured. 11Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and put them in Halah and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded; they would neither listen nor do it.

I would hope that God would think of me as He describes Hezekiah. I aspire to that, but I know I fall short. We should all aspire to that.  He took on great cultural and emotional change and led the people through it. I am sure it was not easy. So many before him failed to do it. I can look in my personal life and see how transitioning from certain sentimental family traditions or cultural norms to focus more and more on following the LORD have been very difficult, even within my own family. We should not make light of his accomplishments and dedication to the LORD based on the assumption it was easy because he was king. I doubt it was easy. People do not easily give up their traditions and false beliefs of generations.

As a result of his righteousness, he was very blessed as was Judah. By contrast, Israel continued to suffer defeat due to their disobedience to God’s covenant.

Do not think of this as some far off historical event that is interesting but not practical. Recognize how this applies in each of our lives today and forever. The principle is seeking to know the LORD and then leave behind whatever separates us from walking in His ways and His commands, no matter how difficult. We must be courageous and put Him first above all. We must be willing to face and overcome conflict and resistance in many different forms.  We must place our faith entirely in our Father’s hands and obey.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to seek you passionately and diligently… to know, love and serve you fully.  Help me to lay down the bad things that are not your ways and help me to have courage and wisdom in conflict. Lead me in your ways and bless me. Please help all those who are called by your name to do likewise so that we would be a body of Christ that truly shines as a light to the world to draw others to you. Let not the traditions of family or men keep us from walking completely in your ways. Raise up righteous leaders and teachers to lead the people. Bring forth workers for the harvest. 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?, Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Hope, How do I get started?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Salvation, Satan, Study the Word

Who Do You Say That I Am?

“Who do you say that I am?”

In reference to Yeshua, how we truthfully answer this question frames up how we relate to our heavenly Father. It is a simple question, but one of immense importance.

Matthew 16:13-20

Peter’s Confession of Christ

      13Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

Let us keep in mind that even Satan knows Yeshua is Son of the living God. Recognizing this, do not be overconfident that you are on in right relationship with our Father just because you acknowledge Yeshua as Christ. However, if you do not at least get this question right, you will surely not get the right relationship with our Him or our Father.

A second key point would be that the Father has to reveal this to us. We can tell someone over and over and lay out all the evidence, but if the Father does not reveal it to them, they will not see and acknowledge it. So if you want to truly reach someone, be sure to ask the Father to open their eyes to the truth. Once He reveals it to us, it is then that we have the chance to accept Him truly.

Third, and this is important and often misunderstood… the rock upon which the church will be built is not Peter. He was too fallible, as we all are, to be spoken about in this context. In fact, only 5 verses later, Yeshua calls Him out in a very harsh and dramatic way in verse 23. The rock is the fact that Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of the living God.  Nothing can overcome this foundation of solid rock. It is upon this solid rock that we build our faith and our relationship with Yahweh. It is upon this solid rock that we find our hope and salvation and nothing can come against it.

What is a bit confusing to me is that Yeshua told His disciples not to tell others. This is intriguing. I am not going to try to address this in this article, but encourage anyone interested to do more study. You can consult the commentaries for possible opinions on the matter and can pray and ask Yahweh to show you.

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?, Jesus (hearing from God), Parables, Seeking God, Share the Good News, Study the Word

The Sower and the Four Soils… and What Does it Mean for Me?

We will focus today on the parable of the sower, or as it is sometimes called the parable of the four soils. I plan to come back to the section on why Yeshua taught in parables as it deserves some depth of discussion on its own.

Matthew 13:1-23

Jesus Teaches in Parables

      1That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.

      3And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5“Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6“But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7“Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8“And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9“He who has ears, let him hear.”

An Explanation

      10And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12“For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13“Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

14“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;

      15FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’

16“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17“For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Sower Explained

      18“Hear then the parable of the sower. 19“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20“The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22“And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

Reflect on this teaching from Yeshua from two perspectives:

  • You as the soil
  • You as the sower

I strive to be the fertile soil and to a large degree I believe I fit that category more than the others. There are, however, times when I let the worries of the world come and choke out the joy of the LORD in my walk with Him. I need to keep working on this to be sure, and I need His help. Which type of soil are you?

Notice that the sower and the seed are consistent throughout all four scenarios. It is not the word of God that is in question in any of these outcomes, but rather the people receiving the message. Thus, if we are obeying our mandate in the great commission to go and make disciples of all the world, we must not judge our effectiveness by the outcome with specific individuals. There is more going on than just us as sowers and God’s word as the seed.

This is also why we are instructed not to simply dwell on one person in trying to “force” the gospel on them. If they reject it, we are to move on, or “shake the dust from our feet” (What does it mean to shake the dust off your feet_ _ GotQuestions.org). What good would it do for the sower to simply keep throwing seed on the path or the rocky soil? What if there is more fertile soil just “down the road” that he could find if he would shift his focus?

What changes should you make specific to your life in light of today’s scripture?

—-

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?, Purposeful / Intentional, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant, Teachable

What Does It Mean to Be a Disciple of Yeshua?

What does it mean to be a disciple of Yeshua? This is a very important question and one we should all reflect on. Let’s read what Yeshua had to say about it.

Matthew 10:24-39

The Meaning of Discipleship

      24“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25“It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!

      26“Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27“What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. 28“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29“Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31“So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

      32“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33“But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

      34“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35“For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.

      37“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39“He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

There are some important considerations about discipleship after Yeshua.

  • A disciple does not seek to be greater than his teacher, but rather to become like his teacher.
  • Do not fear those who come against you. Do not hide what you have learned, but rather speak it and live it boldly.
  • Rather than fear men who can only destroy your body, fear the one who can destroy body and soul… that means Yahweh. We often ignore how Yahweh feels about the choices we make and instead try to please men.
  • Yahweh loves us. We are important to Him. So, too, are the animals important to Him, even ones seemingly unimportant like sparrows.
  • If we want Yeshua to confess us before the Father, we likewise must confess Him before men. There is no such thing as a private faith that we hide to avoid confrontation or uncomfortable situations. There are situations where we may need to leave to avoid physical harm, but the concept of living entirely hidden or private in our faith should be discarded.
  • Do not expect peace. Truly living for Christ will create conflict even within families. We will have to decide who is most important and the answer for a true disciple must be Yeshua over all others.
  • We will all have a cross to  bear in some way. If we turn away from it because it is too hard or we don’t want to face difficulty, we are not worthy of Yeshua.
  • We will only truly find life by laying down our life, our desires, our plans, and submitting to live for Yeshua no matter the cost.

Truly being a disciple is not an easy thing. It is not for the faint of heart. But the reward is amazing to live alongside our God and serve Him.

I encourage all who want to continue on the path of being a disciple to consider investing some time in a few key teachings we have compiled at Hearing From Jesus.

—-

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.

 

Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Am I on the path?, Anger (unrighteous anger), Controlling Thoughts, Divorce, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Patience, Guide, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Humility, Kindness / Gentleness, Murder, Purposeful / Intentional, Self Control, Strife, Submitted / Servant, Teachable, Tongue / Gossip / Slander

Truly Being a Light for Christ May Seem Challenging

Earlier in Matthew 5, Yeshua was teaching about the beatitudes and then about disciples being salt and light and pursuing righteousness. Now he continues to expound on that by speaking about personal relationships. The context is still continuing in the line of how to be salt and light and righteous… we are to act very differently than the world around us. If we truly consider the high standard and take it to heart, it can be intimidating. However, rather than throw up your hands and say “I can’t do that”, simply recognize that this is the goal we should be moving towards and ask the Spirit to help you get there.

Matthew 5:21-48

Personal Relationships

      21“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ 22“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. 23“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. 25“Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26“Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.      27“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; 28but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29“If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30“If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

31“It was said, ‘WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE’; 32but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

33“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’ 34“But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. 36“Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37“But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ 39“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41“Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42“Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47“If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

I do not assume we are to take literally the part about removing our body parts if they cause us to offend, but the language certainly drives home the point. If there are things in our lives, even things dear and close to us, that cause us to stumble before our Father, we should remove them.

Really reflect on the behaviors and the high standard laid out here that is required and desired to separate us and help us stand out as the light to others. We are not to blend in and it is not simply by quoting scripture, but by the very manner in which we live that we are to distinguish ourselves as a light. We truly need help from the Spirit to live it out and we need to remain humble and seek forgiveness along the way as we stumble.

—-

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?, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant

We are the Salt and the Light

The words of Yeshua in Matthew 5 for His disciples are important. Do not breeze through them. Read them carefully and reflect. Really digest what He is saying.

Matthew 5:13-20

Disciples and the World

      13“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

      14“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

      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.

      20“For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

A disciple is a “learner”. One who learns. We are to learn from Christ and follow His example and His teaching. Our walk should look like His to an increasing extent as we get more mature in our relationship with Him.

After teaching about the beatitudes, Yeshua compares the value and purpose of a disciple to salt and light. The salt adds flavor and is a preservative. It was valuable and important for food in that time. One can easily draw a comparison that we as disciples of Christ are very important. We must preserve the teachings of Christ to help followers embrace a lifestyle consistent with His desires for us. We are important in maintaining the message for others to consume and live out. If we “lose our saltiness” it is like saying we are no longer preserving the true message of Christ and as a result the lives of believers will be less full of the flavor intended. What use is a disciple if we are no longer preserving the teachings of Christ as we ought to be? Not much if you follow the metaphor Yeshua lays out.

The light is even easier to understand. We are not to hide or blend in, but to stand out. We are to shed light for others through how we live and what we teach. If we just blend in and hide, perhaps even to protect ourselves, then what use are we? Not much. Like a lamp that is hidden under a basket. We are to be openly and joyfully fulfilling our purpose to show others the way to Christ. It is the world and culture that will be trying to put a basket over our light.

In both examples our value and purpose is in being different, in standing out and not blending in. We become useless as disciples if we simply blend in with culture around us.

Verses 17-19 make a forceful statement that many today simply rationalize away with word games.

      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.

Yeshua could not be much more straight forward. The Law is not abolished. The Law will not pass away until “until heaven and earth pass away”. Last time I checked… that has not happened yet. Then why do so many Christians argue that the Law is done away with? Sadly, this is a deception that has crept into the church a long time ago and it keeps creeping further and further. Pastors are not even consistent. How often do you hear about the “tithe” but then hear the Law is done away with? (The tithe is part of the Law.) Or we hear that the Law is done away with exception of the 10 commandments… wait now we don’t keep all of those either (e.g. Sabbath).

The truth is that the Law stands. Christ did not come to abolish it or end it. He came to make it full of meaning. There are elements such as sin offerings for reconciling to God after we sin that are now fulfilled in Christ’s sacrifice to us. However the whole of the Law is not fulfilled or done away with. Each of us should really challenge ourselves to study and learn more about the Law and not just accept that it is all done away with because pastors say so. I heard one pastor of a well known and large church proclaim recently we need not even keep the Old Testament because it confuses people, but rather only “love one another”. He even left out “love God” and “love one another”.

It was not by accident that Yeshua highlighted the Law after speaking about the salt and the light. It is by obeying the Law that He was judged righteous. It is by living according to the Law that we are a light and salt to the world, leading others to live as Yeshua actually lived Himself.  After all, He was a Jewish rabbi. He lived and taught the Law of God. Should we then declare ourselves His followers by declaring the Law over and living differently than He did? Do we live like He is our example? or our excuse not to follow God’s law?

Read more:

Find ministries that focus on teaching us about the Hebrew roots of our faith:

—-

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.