Category Archives: Jesus (hearing from God)

Discipline / Correction, Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Jesus (hearing from God), Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Share the Good News, Study the Word, Teachable

The Great Commission – Personal Discipleship Plan

This teaching is really a core part of our personal walk with Yeshua. Please take the time to read through it prayerfully, even though it may be a bit longer than average.

At Hearing From Jesus, we take the commands of our Lord very seriously and that certainly includes The Great Commission. In fact, it is this command that most directly inspires our ministry. We want to obey Yeshua and make disciples of all the nations.

Besides being the command of our Lord, it is also a natural desire we have in gratitude to Yahweh for His grace and forgiveness and also out of love for other people, who may be headed for eternal separation from Him in hell, unless they hear and study the true word of God.

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.”

To learn more about the Great Commission given to us by Yeshua, we recommend you study our teaching, The Great Commission – Make Disciples Of All The Nations, before continuing with this teaching on building a personal discipleship plan.

Whether Hearing From Jesus is a primary source for your personal study and growth with the Lord or just another valuable reference site, we have structured our ministry to help you become a disciple, a learner, of Christ and then to prepare to go and make disciples of others. This last point is important… it should not be our goal to do the absolute minimum we can and still get into Heaven. Those who have this attitude are far from the kingdom of Heaven. Our goal is to grow spiritually to the point that we are feeding ourselves from Yahweh’s word and growing in our relationship with Him from now until we die. It is a journey that we never finish, but it transforms us along the way to become more like our Messiah and less like our old sinful nature. We are to learn well enough to then teach others effectively and help them become disciples as well… so they can , in turn, teach others.

Overwhelming? It can be. So, how do we begin such a task?

Let us begin by studying and then following the example of Yeshua. Likewise, we can review how others, like Paul or Moses or Elijah practiced discipleship. In all the examples I just mentioned, these servants of Yahweh knew the ultimate authority was the Creator, not a religious authority figure or scholars or traditions. We must seek to develop a personal relationship with Yahweh. We must not cling to traditions of men, even if they are taught by religious authority figures. The Pope, like the earthly head of every religion, is quite fallible and what he teaches must be tested against the word of Yah in the Bible. Sadly it often contradicts God’s word. We must test everything against the truth of the scripture and seek Yahweh in prayer consistently. To be a disciple of Christ we must be willing to put Him first, above and before all other parts of our lives and it will be hard. We must lose our own lives in order to find true life with Jesus.

Matthew 10:34-39

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.

Yeshua did not attend formal schooling or study at seminary. These things may be helpful, but are not necessary and for most of us, not practical. Yeshua studied the scriptures rigorously and with devotion since He was as child. So knowledgeable was He, that when He was twelve, He was amazing the scholars and teachers of the law.

Luke 2:46-47

46Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.

If you are coming to know Yeshua later in life, do not worry. Use the time our Father has given you and get started studying (not just reading) the Bible consistently today. He will reveal much to a devoted disciple through His word. Yeshua’s disciples certainly did not start studying scripture as children but God used them in a mighty way!

Yeshua had a powerful prayer life. Communicating with the Father to receive instruction through prayer is essential to live as an effective disciple. Yeshua did not pray when convenient… when He had time. Yeshua stayed up late and got up early. Consistent prayer is essential to staying submitted to the Father’s will rather than our own. To study more about Yeshua’s prayer life, I recommend reading Experiencing Prayer with Jesus, by Henry and Norman Blackaby.

When it was time for His public ministry to begin, Yeshua found a small set of disciples, or followers. He had an inner circle in which He invested much time (Peter, James, John) and He had a wider group, but still small, that included all twelve disciples. He invested much time in the twelve, but not as much as He invested in the closer circle of three. Yeshua also taught the masses who sought to hear God’s word. He never turned away those who were genuinely seeking the word of God.

We must recognize that Yeshua forced no one to be a disciple or to listen to His message. Instead He choose people as disciples who came enthusiastically and willingly. They were eager to learn and they were not rebelling against Yah, insisting on clutching onto their traditions or their personal lives before meeting Yeshua. They were willing to put Yeshua as a priority above all other things. They left much behind of what they knew to follow Him. Others whom he invited, such as the rich young ruler introduced in Matthew 19:16, could not put him first and thus chose not to follow him.

Yeshua made time for people and demonstrated compassion, but also remained focused on going about doing God’s work. He dealt with mockers appropriately so as not to let them distract Him from getting to those who wanted to hear. Yeshua would reply to those trying to trick Him, but only to provide a teachable moment and an opportunity for them to hear truth and repent, and then He would move on.

In three years He created a team of disciples who could go out and teach others. This is what disciple means… Yeshua does not call us to just remain a “baby” in the faith, needing constant care and feeding. Rather He calls us to be disciples who can learn and teach others to learn. Those others then teach more and there is a multiplying effect that has dramatically impacted the world over the last two thousand years… starting from the humble beginnings of a poor carpenter who taught truth and stood up against the established teachers and scholars of the time and against centuries of traditions of men which were put above the commands of God.

We will briefly comment regarding Moses, Elijah, and Paul but of course you can study and learn more about them by reading the scriptures.

Moses trained judges to be prepared to help meet the needs of the people in order to properly lead such a large number of people. [Exodus 18:17-26]

Elijah invested time to disciple Elisha, who became his successor. [1Kings 19:19-21]

Paul managed his disciples over a wider geography, across many different cities and regions. He taught to crowds, big and small, on his missionary journeys. However, he clearly had a close circle of disciples with whom he traveled and invested significant time and a wider circle of individuals whom he discipled through occasional visits and more frequently through correspondence (e.g. letters).

So… what do we learn from Yeshua and some significant servants of Yahweh? What is a practical way to begin?

We must all begin with study of the scripture and prayer. We must develop a strong personal relationship with the Father. Do not get in a hurry to be the teacher. Yeshua did not start discipling others immediately, he studied from time of child and started with disciples at 30 years old. His disciples spent three years under His instruction and care before going out to disciple others on their own. They maintained a support structure often going out in pairs and coming back to consult with one another.

Most of us need to identify resources and techniques for studying scripture, and possibly find a teacher or disciple who is further on the journey than we are to help lead the way and answer questions. We must learn to feed ourselves with Yah’s help, still listening to the wise, but testing all they teach against scripture.

When you are ready, start seeking those you can invest time and relationship in to come together to study Yah’s word with commitment and devotion. Seek your disciples, without giving up or forsaking your relationship with your teacher or with the Father. Keep feeding yourself and continue on the journey to know, love, and serve Yahweh or you will not be effective in leading others. Even if you do not feel comfortable guiding a Bible study on your own, set up a Bible study anyway. You can use material from our ministry or from other teachers who have already prepared and shared the message of God’s word. Just remember to test everything against the whole of scripture using your own discernment and prayer… as even good teachers have some doctrine incorrect… and some of it quite significant.

After a time, do not rush it, and staying connected to the disciples you study with… each of you perhaps in pairs can also set up separate small groups to disciple others. Invest in more than just Bible study, but in life activities and support one another. Do not tolerate among your disciples those who would tempt you to sloth or to disregard and rebel against God’s word by rationalizing sin or worldly culture as acceptable. Do not tolerate among your close disciples those that refuse to submit to Yahweh and repent of their sin, clinging to their sin nature and refusing to change behaviors to honor God. Follow Jesus’ instructions found in Matthew 18:15-17.

15“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16“But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17“If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Listen, also, to your fellow disciples when they point out to you your sin… for the wise listen to good advice with thanksgiving and become wiser. A fool despises correction.

Stay focused. Consider writing down a plan for your personal discipleship both as a learner and as a teacher. Review periodically, perhaps a few times a year, to evaluate your progress and commitment to this mission. Pray for our Father’s help frequently… “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Please reach out to us with questions through our Contact Us page. Our intent is to teach you and support you in becoming a disciple, not just to give you a word from the scriptures daily… though that is a great start.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead me in Your word with wisdom and courage. Help me to develop the passion to pursue the truth and depth of Your word. Give me a humble heart so that I may learn from others, even as I become more mature spiritually. Help also prepare me to lead others and to go forth and make disciples. To You be all the glory and honor. 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?, 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.

Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, False Prophets / Teachers, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus (hearing from God), Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Parables, Prophecy, Salvation, Sloth / Laziness, Wickedness / Evil

Jesus Prophecies About the Temple Destruction and His Return (Part 4)

Jesus continues His prophetic response to Peter, James, John and Andrew regarding three important questions in Matthew 25:14-46. They are having a private discussion on the mount of olives. The questions were: “When will the temple be destroyed?”, ” What will be the sign of Your coming?”, and “What will be the sign of the end of the age?” (If you missed it, we encourage you to read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 before you read further here in Part 4.)

Jesus provides additional strong warnings regarding judgment that will accompany His return. He warns us all to be ready now and expect that there will be consequences when He returns based on how we lived “while the master was away”. We will be held accountable. Those who lived faithfully submitted to Jesus will rejoice and be rewarded. There is no middle ground. We are either submitted to Jesus as Lord or we are not. Our behaviors and attitudes are an indication of our true relationship with Jesus as fruit is an indication of the type of tree that grows it. Those who accepted Jesus in name only, never changing their behaviors to reflect a true submission to Him as Lord will be held accountable just as those who outright rebelled against or rejected God.

Parable of the Talents

      14“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15“To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16“Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17“In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18“But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

      19“Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20“The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

      22“Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

      24“And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

      26“But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

      29“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30“Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Be encouraged… the master did not get angry with the man who made only two talents because another made five. The master praised both for their efforts and stewardship. Even the servant who dug the hole may have satisfied the master to a degree if he even had just put it in the bank. God gives each of us talents and abilities and a certain amount of time on this Earth. He expects us to serve Him by using what He gives wisely and not being wicked or slothful.

The Judgment

      31“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32“All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

      34“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

      41“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44“Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45“Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Clearly there is judgment when Jesus returns. Just an a parent wants a child to obey when they are not together or an employer wants an employee to obey instructions when the employer is away… so too Jesus wants us to live in obedience to Him even before He returns. The test of how you love your master, parent, or employer is best reflected in how you behave when you think he or she is not around.

Jesus gives us some specific examples of things we can do to show Him we love Him… by loving other people. We can meet physical needs and spiritual needs of others. The physical needs are straightforward to understand. All of them also represent spiritual needs… we must bring the truth of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many as we can! Jesus compared himself to the bread of life and compared what He offers us to life giving waters that quench us such that we will never be thirsty again. So too loneliness, sickness and captivity can by physical or spiritual. Only Jesus can set people free and meet these needs… but we are commanded to  represent Him! How wonderful a task.

To begin, each of us must accept Jesus as Lord of our lives and turn away from our wrong behaviors and do things God’s way… according to the Biblical standard provided by God. This takes study and prayer to do it properly. We must study the Bible and learn to pray effectively. A godly, Biblical church can be part of that but can not replace additional personal time and  effort by invested by each individual.

It takes commitment to draw near to God and serve Him well. He calls for us to make Him our top priority… not a hobby. Begin now to dedicate your life to God if you, like me, want to hear Jesus tell you the following words when you meet Him:

‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

Get started by learning some key teachings:

Then we invite you to study the Bible with us daily through our devotions via email, Facebook, or on our website Latest Devotions page.

Please pray with me:

Father, please give me courage and faithfulness to use wisely what You have entrusted to me. Let me not simply meet my own needs and wants, but also see the needs of others as clearly as You do. Help me reach out to help others confidently and in Your name. Let me not simply be afraid that someone may be taking advantage of me, but really find tangible ways to help people in Your name. Help me to live a life to which You would consider me a good and faithful servant that I should hear those wonderful words from You, “well done”.  Amen. 

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

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.

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, False Prophets / Teachers, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus (hearing from God), Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Parables, Prophecy, Salvation, Tribulation

Jesus Prophecies About the Temple Destruction and His Return (Part 3)

Jesus continues His prophetic response to Peter, James, John and Andrew regarding three important questions in Matthew 24:32-51 and Matthew 25:1-13. They are having a private discussion on the mount of olives. The questions were: “When will the temple be destroyed?”, ” What will be the sign of Your coming?”, and “What will be the sign of the end of the age?” (If you missed it, we encourage you to read Part 1, and  Part 2  before you read further here in Part 3.)

The prophecy can be difficult to fully evaluate in part because Jesus does not clearly separate where He is talking about the end of the Age… His second coming… from the signs preceding the temple destruction, which occurred approximately 40 years after these words were spoken. (To study much more detail, consider the commentaries available on BibleHub.com.)

Many people spend a lot of time trying to specifically predict when Jesus will return at the end of the age… the end of the world as it currently exists. While it is important to be familiar with prophecy to recognize the signs of the times so we can properly respond to Jesus’ warning about the times leading up to His return… He also warns us in several different examples that none shall know the specific hour of His coming. Rather the warning is to be prepared ahead of time… prepare now.

Matthew 24:32-51

Parable of the Fig Tree

32“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

36“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37“For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38“For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40“Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41“Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

Be Ready for His Coming

42“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43“But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44“For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

45“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46“Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47“Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48“But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ 49and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25:1-13

Parable of Ten Virgins

1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2“Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3“For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5“Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6“But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7“Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8“The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9“But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10“And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11“Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12“But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13“Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Thankfully, we do not have to fully understand prophecy to understand what Jesus is calling us to do to prepare. We are called to accept Jesus as Lord repenting from our sins, become disciples through constant study and prayer, and then go and make disciples of others. This is how we prepare for the end times… to be ready even though we do not know exactly when it comes. We know enough to recognize that we better devote our lives to Jesus and help others to do the same. That is how we prepare.

Get started by learning some key teachings:

Then we invite you to study the Bible with us daily through our devotions via email, Facebook, or on our website Latest Devotions page.

Click link to continue to Part 4 in this article series.

Please pray with me:

Father, please help me to come to proper relationship with You now. Let me not put it off, assuming it only matters that I am doing what is right when You return. Help me to strengthen my faith, my passion for Your word, to worship You, to spend time with You, to share the gospel with others. Help me to know when I hear from You. Lead me to repent of my sins. Help me to prepare now, this very day. Amen. 

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

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.

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, False Prophets / Teachers, Fear / Reverence for God, Jesus (hearing from God), Obeying God, Prophecy, Salvation, Tribulation

Jesus Prophecies About the Temple Destruction and His Return (Part 2)

Jesus continues His prophetic response to Peter, James, John and Andrew regarding three important questions in Matthew 24:15-31. They are having a private discussion on the mount of olives. The questions were: “When will the temple be destroyed?”, ” What will be the sign of Your coming?”, and “What will be the sign of the end of the age?” (If you missed it, we encourage you to read Part 1, before you read further here in Part 2.)

    15“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17“Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18“Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20“But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22“Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25“Behold, I have told you in advance. 26“So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 27“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28“Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

      29“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31“And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Jesus provides no specific answer as to when the temple will be destroyed. In fact He answers in a way that intermingles the description of the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age so that it is at times difficult to separate which comments apply for which event. He  answers as if both the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age may be described by a similar answer… as if one is a  foreshadowing one for the other.

Let us break it down verse by verse for more insight.

15“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

The abomination of desolation refers to the Roman army’s occupation of Jerusalem preceding the city’s destruction and the desecration of the temple resulting from the actions of Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the mid-2nd century BC. Specifically, he set up an altar to Zeus in the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and sacrificed swine on it around the year 167 BC.

The destruction of Jerusalem after the Jewish people rejected Jesus Christ as Messiah may represent a foreshadowing of the end of the world when Christ comes again after many reject Him.

16then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17“Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18“Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

This section of the prophecy clearly warns God’s people to be prepared. Recognize the signs and move quickly and urgently. There is no time to spare. It will be difficult. In regards to the Roman siege of Jerusalem, those who heeded Jesus’ prophecy were able to get out before the siege began, escaping to the countryside or wilderness. Those who were not prepared… who did not recognize the signs… would have been trapped in the middle of it.

So too we must prepare ourselves for the end of the age… the end of the world. We must be ready for it. The most important preparation is to turn from our wrong behaviors and thoughts (our sins)… to ask Jesus for forgiveness and make Him Lord of our life. (read more: The Message of the Cross – Salvation)

20“But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22“Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Followers of Christ were not spared the tribulation of the siege of Jerusalem by God removing them from the situation. If they were prepared and heeded Jesus’ prophetic warning to leave, then their time was less hard… but still hard.  So, too, will it be at the end of the age. Christians will not be spared the great tribulation, but can take refuge in knowing what it brings and through personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus encourages us to pray that our part of the tribulation would be more manageable… less harsh… so that we may endure it to the end. We should do as Jesus guides and pray.

23“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25“Behold, I have told you in advance. 26“So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.

Jesus’ comments here appear to apply more toward the end times rather than the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. He warns us clearly to watch out for the deception of false prophets who will claim to be Christ or speak for God. We must study scripture daily, seek God in prayer, and pray for God’s help to recognize the false prophets for what they are… lest they lead us astray. There are many today, leading people away from Jesus, claiming to teach His word. Each of us must heed this warning and take action in our lives to prepare. We must not be lazy in our study and prayer… doing it “when we have time”. We must seek first the kingdom of God.

Matthew 6:33 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

27“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Jesus is letting us know that when He returns… it will be in a manner very different than we may imagine and very different from every false Christ. The second coming of Jesus shall be like lightning… swift, unexpected, and powerful. There is some thought that even the manner in which the Romans came to conquer Jerusalem can be compared to this prophecy… again as perhaps a foreshadowing of the end of the age.

 28“Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

To be honest, this verse is a bit tougher to understand with confidence. It may refer to wherever a church or nation has rejected God… is dead to God… and is decaying… there God’s ministers of vengeance, the vultures, do their work of destruction so as to leave room for new life.

 29“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31“And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Verses 29-31 again reinforce that Jesus’ return will not be subtle. It will be magnificent and obvious for those who are prepared to recognize it. His return will not be something that is unclear at all but rather He will come in great power.

All the tribes of the earth will mourn… all those who have rejected Jesus and instead chosen another path fear the coming of judgment. If they do not fear it now… they will fear it as Jesus returns in full power and glory and they can no longer rationalize their denial and rejection of Him.

The angels are sent forth with great fanfare to gather those on the earth who have chosen and submitted to Jesus, for they were scattered.

For those of us who follow and submit to Jesus, this time represents a wonderful time for celebration! For those who reject Jesus , it is a time to dread… judgment comes and they are on the wrong side of it.

Thankfully, we do not have to fully understand prophecy to understand what Jesus is calling us to do to prepare. We are called to accept Jesus as Lord repenting from our sins, become disciples through constant study and prayer, and then go and make disciples of others. This is how we prepare for the end times… to be ready even though we do not know exactly when it comes. We know enough to recognize that we better devote our lives to Jesus and help others to do the same. That is how we prepare.

Get started by learning some key teachings:

Then we invite you to study the Bible with us daily through our devotions via email, Facebook, or on our website Latest Devotions page.

Click link to continue to Part 3 in this article series.

Please pray with me:

Father, please help me to come to proper relationship with You now. Let me not put it off, assuming it only matters that I am doing what is right when You return. Help me to strengthen my faith, my passion for Your word, to worship You, to spend time with You, to share the gospel with others. Help me to know when I hear from You. Lead me to repent of my sins. Help me to prepare now, this very day. Amen. 

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

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.

Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, False Prophets / Teachers, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus (hearing from God), Obeying God, Salvation, Through Prophets, Tribulation

Jesus Prophecies About The Temple Destruction And His Return (Part 1)

Jesus provides prophetic insight into when He returns at the end of the age to his disciples in Matthew 24:1-14. I find it interesting to note that this particular teaching, which may be harder to understand than others is directed in a private discussion between Jesus and some of His disciples, rather than a public forum. Some prophecy can be difficult to fully understand, especially by those who have not yet come into proper relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

      1Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

      3As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

      4And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5“For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6“You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8“But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

      9“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10“At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11“Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13“But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Let us dive in and explore this prophecy from Jesus verse by verse. To study in more detail, I recommend starting by reviewing a variety of commentaries for this scripture on BibleHub.com. You can go verse by verse at:

http://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/24-1.htm

1Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him.

As Jesus and His disciples left the temple, it would be natural to expect them to observe the structure in all of its splendor. It was magnificent.

2And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

Jesus uses a proverbial and figurative expression “not one stone here will be left upon another” to reveal the coming destruction of the temple.  Barnes’ Notes Commentary provides the following historical information:

The temple was vast, rich, splendid. It was the pride of the nation, and the nation was at peace. Yet in the short space of 40 years all this was accomplished exactly. Jerusalem was taken by the Roman armies, under the command of Titus, 70 a.d. The account of the siege and destruction of the city is left us by Josephus, a historian of undoubted veracity and singular fidelity. He was a Jewish priest. In the wars of which he gives an account, he fell into the hands of the Romans, and remained with them during the siege and destruction of the city. Being a Jew, he would of course say nothing designed to confirm the prophecies of Jesus Christ; yet his whole history appears almost like a running commentary on these predictions respecting the destruction of the temple.

3As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

The prediction that the temple would be destroyed had been made in the presence of all the apostles. A “part” now came privately to know more. We know from Mark 13:3, that Peter, James, John, and Andrew were the disciples who came with Jesus to ask about these things.

There were three questions asked by the disciples.

1. When will the temple be destroyed?

2. What will be the sign of Your coming?

3. What will be the sign of the end of the age?

 4And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5“For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.

Jesus begins an answer in verse 4 that continues for several chapters. We will not cover all of it in one devotion, but rather continue studying it over the course of several devotions as we walk through the book of Matthew.

Jesus provides no specific answer to the first question about when the temple will be destroyed. In fact He answers in a way that intermingles the description of the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age so that it is at times difficult to separate which comments apply for which event. He  answers as if both the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age may be described by a similar answer… as if one is a  foreshadowing one for the other.

Jesus does not provide a distinct and specific description of the events, but instead seems most interested in providing a warning about what is to come. We are warned not to be mislead by the many who claim to come in His name. There are many false prophets who claim the name of Jesus, but we must spend time studying the word and in prayer daily to fully recognize the false prophets from the true ones. Many will be led astray to their peril! We are not to be lazy in our desire to know and serve God or we will be easy prey to be led away from Him by false prophets.

6“You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8“But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

Jesus warns us further not to be frightened by the wars, famines and earthquakes. These events must occur. They are but the beginnings of birth pangs… the beginning of labor. These things can continue on for a long time before the end of the age… the birth of a new one. Knowing what they signal is coming… a new age… can help us to avoid fear as our response… just as knowing about birth pains helps us avoid fear when those pains are experienced in pregnancy. For those who understand pregnancy and birth, this metaphor clearly serves as warning also that more difficulty and pain are to come. The birth pains are more intense than the early labor pains.

9“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10“At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11“Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. .

Contrary to the incorrect belief of many, the scripture indicates believers will experience tribulation, not be called away to Heaven before it comes. God’s people will be hated by all the nations because they submit to the name of Jesus. Under this intense pressure and persecution, many will fall away and betray one another. Many will hate one another. False prophets lead people away from God.

We can be encouraged because Jesus has warned us ahead of time. Those who understand and heed the warning will be better prepared to avoid being misled… being led away from Christ. We can endure tough situations, even finding joy in them, knowing that God has not been defeated… far from it! Jesus told us it would happen. We can look forward with great anticipation for the end of this age and the hope of the age to come.

12“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold

Lawlessness refers specifically to the law of God… His commands on how we are to live. Jesus summarized God’s commands as loving God and loving your neighbor. As people discard the commands of God, claiming they are no longer relevant… their love grows cold. Some even teach discarding portions of the law because Jesus died for us, but this is contrary to what Jesus teaches. (To learn more, study our teaching Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean Today?)

Matthew 22:35-40

35One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38“This is the great and foremost commandment. 39“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus wants us to continue obeying all the laws and commands of God to the end of the age. By doing so we show love to God and our neighbors and do not allow our love to grow cold.

13“But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

Only the one who endures to the end will be saved. Those that turn away from God and follow their own path when it gets tough will be lost, regardless of whatever prior relationship they had with Jesus. While no one can “snatch” one out of the Father’s hand, all of God’s people must freely choose to submit to Him… and can also freely choose to reject and rebel against Him, even if they once submitted to Him.

John 10:26-30

26“But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30“I and the Father are one.”

For each of us, our end comes in different ways and different times.  Every day, about 150,000 people a day are dying… meeting their end. Yes, some will make it to the end of the age, but for most of us our end comes before then. Either way, we are each called to endure to the end, submitting our lives to God despite suffering or hard times.

14“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

After His death and resurrection, Jesus gave a clear command to His disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations, confirming again what He said in Matthew 24:14. We should study this command and obey it as well. It not only applies to the disciples, but to all who truly submit to Jesus Christ 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. Jesus’ 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. Jesus 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. To study more about the Great Commission commanded by Jesus, review our teaching, The Great Commission – Make Disciples Of All The Nations.

We should consider Jesus’ warnings and instructions carefully and thoughtfully consider how to apply them to our lives!

Of course, the first step, for those who have not yet done so, is to turn from our sins and wrong behaviors, ask forgiveness from Jesus and submit to Jesus Christ  as Lord of our lives. It is a journey that lasts a lifetime, transforming us to be less like our old sinful nature and more like Jesus along the way. Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross. Accepting Jesus as Lord is just the beginning!

Click link to continue to Part 2 in this article series.

Please pray with me:

Father, please help me to come to proper relationship with You now. Let me not put it off, assuming it only matters that I am doing what is right when You return. Help me to strengthen my faith, my passion for Your word, to worship You, to spend time with You, to share the gospel with others. Help me to know when I hear from You. Lead me to repent of my sins. Help me to prepare now, this very day. 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.

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Jesus (hearing from God), Learning To Pray Effectively, Satan

How we pray matters!

In Matthew 6:9-13, our Messiah teaches us how to pray.

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’”

Yeshua laid out a very clear way to lead us in our prayer life with God. How we pray and why we pray matter to God!

We start by focusing on God. Reflect on who He is and what He wants us to do. All too often we launch directly into a list of our wants, needs, or troubles. Yeshua tells us first to focus on God. This helps to put in perspective our issues and His ability to lead us through them. It honors Him and shows respect. Our prayer is not all about us, but about our relationship with Him.

Then Yeshua calls us to ask for “our daily bread”. He does not say ask for our next week or year… or do not ask at all for anything. He wants us to talk to Him daily. We should make sure to set this time aside and not let it get crowded out.

“Forgive us our debts…” as we forgive others. Yeshua calls us not only to repent and ask for forgiveness but also to forgive others. Don’t hold a grudge. Bitterness hurts most the one who holds it, not the one to whom it is directed. Scripture says we will be forgiven as we forgive others. Keep that in mind!

“Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil…” Yes, there really is a devil and there really are evil people and evil desires we must avoid and sometimes overcome. Jesus is warning us that we should lean on God for help in this area daily.

“For Yours is the kingdom…” We close where we started, with focus on God instead of us.

Learn more by reading Learning How to Pray Effectively.

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.

Evidence in Scripture, Father / Yahweh, Heaven and Hell, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus (hearing from God), Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Share the Good News, Speaking

Yeshua Gave Evidence, Support, and a Mission to His Disciples

What a challenging time it must have been for the followers of Yeshua, after He suffered and died on the cross and was buried in a tomb. Yeshua had graciously (and prophetically) warned them about what was going to happen over and over, but when it actually happened, they still seem to have been caught unprepared with how to deal with the situation. In His compassion and love for His followers, Yeshua presented Himself alive after His crucifixion and burial. He provided many convincing proofs of the physical resurrection of His body and gives specific instructions to His followers over a period of 40 days with many, many witnesses. He also emphasized the importance of waiting for the Holy Spirit before His followers were to leave to start their mission.

Acts 1:1-11

      1The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 4Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

      6So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

      9And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Yeshua knows that we, His followers, need a lot of help! When it was time for Him to return up to heaven, God came in the form of the Holy Spirit to fill believers with part of Himself as a helper for us in our daily lives. What a wonderful Creator! It seems He truly thinks of everything… because He does! The Spirit comforts, counsels, teaches, and guides us, constantly pointing us toward Jesus Christ.

Yeshua’s followers ask about the timing to restore the kingdom of Israel… Yeshua once again reaffirms that the timing is not to be known and instead brings their focus back to the Holy Spirit and tells them to witness for Him throughout the world. This is what Yeshua wanted His disciples to focus on. This is what He wants us to focus on. It is important!

7He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Having given this important command, we often refer to as The Great Commission, Yeshua is taken up to heaven. Even as He goes, the Father provides reassurance that Yeshua will come again, in like manner to that in which He left. Yeshua’s return will not be subtle. It will leave no doubt. He will come with great glory and power.

In the meantime, we as His followers are called to seek and obey the Holy Spirit within us and carry out the mission Yeshua gave us to spread the good news of the gospel throughout the world! Of course to state the obvious, we need to start with how we live our own lives before we will be effective sharing with others and leading them to Yeshua.

Get started by learning some core teachings:

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for sending Yeshua and for sending the Holy Spirit to help lead and guide us. Please help me to be still and seek You and listen to Your instruction. Help Your people everywhere to be truly Spirit led and not deceived by their own thoughts or desires. Help me to live out Your instruction in my life and also have the courage to lead others to You. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Jesus (hearing from God), Miracles, Miracles, Share the Good News, Submitted / Servant

Yeshua’s Final Message to His Disciples

It is interesting to reflect on what Mark chooses to highlight in this fairly short summary of the events that took place after Yeshua rose from the dead. Yeshua reproaches His disciples for their unbelief. So often we overlook this in the gospels. Thomas is often called “the doubter” because of his not being present the first time Yeshua appeared to the disciples and he doubted when they told him. However, here we are reminded that the disciples broadly all doubted the women who came to them after first witnessing the resurrection. Before we judge them too harshly, let us spend time in self reflection in regards to how often we waiver in the strength of our faith. Avoid the prideful assumption that “I would certainly have believed”. Recognize we have the benefit of reading about it all afterwards. See around you how many people still do not believe.

Then Yeshua sends out His disciples to go forth and preach the gospel throughout the world.

Mark 16:14-20

The Disciples Commissioned

      14Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. 17“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

      19So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.]
[And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.]

Let us not forget that “disciple” means “learner”. If we are to be disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to continue learning to be more like Him… to obey Him more fully. Jesus had two main messages in this scripture. First, remain strong in our faith and know that He is Lord of all. Second, go forth and preach the gospel everywhere.

We should pray for the Father’s help to do both of these things and do them well and consistently.

I invite You to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Yeshua dying and rising from the dead on our behalf. It gives me great hope in forgiveness to be reconciled with You despite my sin. Help me (and all Your people) to remain strong in our faith and go forth and share the gospel with others joyfully. Amen.

A few closing thoughts:

  • Select the link to learn more about The Great Commission – Make Disciples of All the Nations
  • Verses 17-18 are intriguing. We are left to explore separate from this article how broadly these verses apply for those who believe. It does not seem to apply to everyone who believes. Was it just for that period in time of the early church? Was it just that these signs would be seen among those who believe?

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.

Evidence in Scripture, Faith / Trusting God, Jesus (hearing from God), Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Miracles, Traditions / Holidays

He is Risen!

What an amazing event! Loyal followers made their way faithfully to Yeshua’s tomb to anoint His body for burial. They had witnessed Him die a few days earlier. Now, after having a full day to think about it (Sabbath), they are coming to His tomb just to honor Him. They don’t even know how they will get into the tomb because of the heavy rock in the entrance.

Imagine their surprise and then amazement and delight as they go through the experience of discovering that their beloved Messiah has risen from the grave. Yeshua overcame death! Picture yourself in their sandals at this moment… they expected to find Yeshua dead, not alive and risen. Imagine how that would feel!

Mark 16:1-13

The Resurrection

      1When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. 2Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. 5Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. 7“But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’” 8They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

      9[Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. 10She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it.

Take time to dwell on the subject of scripture, putting yourself emotionally in the spot of Jesus’ followers. Think about how it must have felt. Then compare that to how you feel as His follower in your day to day life. Most of us truly take this historical act of love, the death and resurrection of Yeshua, for granted. It is typical for us to not really take time to think about how significant this event should be to us personally. It should move us emotionally. We should want to tell others enthusiastically! It should transform our lives.

For any skeptics… consider a few points from today’s scripture. I am completely convinced this story is exactly true. If it were just a made up tale written by followers after Yeshua died, then why would they portray the women as astonished and fearful? They would instead portray them as faithful followers who expected this to happen and are not surprised at all. Given the cultural context of the times, the followers would never have chosen to make up a lie that puts the women as the witnesses encountering Yeshua first. Surely it would have been Peter, James, and John. What’s more, the disciples don’t even believe the witnesses at first.

Clearly the story is true. Yeshua is risen! Let us rejoice and let us go forth to tell others about Him!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me (and all your followers) to remember to rejoice in You and what You have done for us! Let us not be distracted by the stresses in life so that we lose track of how awesome You are. You are worthy of praise and worthy to share with others. Please open the opportunities for me to share You with others and give me the courage and the wisdom for how to help lead others to You. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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