Category Archives: Miracles

All Powerful / King of All, Compassionate, Miracles, Miracles, Provider

Moved by Compassion

It is easy to breeze by the miracle of feeding 4000 plus women and children at the end of Matthew 15. We have previously read about the feeding of 5000 and there is already a lot to absorb in this chapter. Don’t overlook it. Sometimes we face situations where there seems to be no way to accomplish something. Our God can make a way. It is never beyond His reach. Trust in Him.

Do not overlook that it was compassion that drove Him to feed the crowds. He sees people in need and does not simply pity them or expect them to help themselves. he does not focus blame on them for foolishly bringing nothing to eat. He has compassion on them to meet their needs. I want this kind of compassion.

Matthew 15:32-39

Four Thousand Fed

      32And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, “I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” 33The disciples said to Him, “Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?” 34And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; 36and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 37And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full. 38And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

      39And sending away the crowds, Jesus got into the boat and came to the region of Magadan.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your love and compassion for Your people, for me. Help me to have that kind of compassion for others. Help me to see them through Your eyes. Also, help Your people be encouraged that nothing is beyond You. There is no obstacle You can not overcome. All praise and honor be 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.

Compassionate, Discerning / Judging, Healer, Miracles, Miracles, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant

Focus on the Father’s Mission Even When Criticized By Others

Great multitudes were following Yeshua. He went up on a mountain with the twelve disciples, trying to escape the crowds somewhat who were pursuing Him for healing. When he returned home, the crowd was so relentless that Yeshua and His disciples could not even eat a meal. People did not understand Him attending to the crowds as much as He did, so they started imagining that He lost His senses or worse.

Likewise, if we go “all in” for the Father, many people, even those who claim to believe in and follow Christ, will not understand. They will try to guide us to do things the way they expect or may mock us. We should take care not listen to godly counsel, but not to be pulled away from the Father’s mission for us by others who do not understand what it means to be fully invested in and submitted to the LORD.

Mark 3:20-27

      20And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. 21When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.” 22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” 23And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25“If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26“If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! 27“But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

We see today as we see in scripture, that the way people are willing to stretch beyond logic to rationalize their view when they see something they do not understand is amazing. What sense would it make for Satan to use his power to cast out demons through someone? Similarly today we could ask, what sense does it make that everything in this universe sprang into existence by itself with no creator from literally nothing, a void. I don’t care how many millions of years someone imagines, if I have nothing it can not become something, let alone organize and evolve on its own. It requires a divine creator.

I invite you to pray:

Father, please lead and guide me and help me to focus on You and the mission You have chosen for me. Help me to have wise and godly counsel and courage and discernment to stand firm when others, even those claiming to follow You, try to stop me or change my full submission to You and Your work. Help open the eyes of the people to see and understand Your glory and turn from cultural norms to Your ways. Help the people fully submit 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.

Guide, Healer, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Teachable

Did Yeshua Really Heal Everyone Who Came to Him?

It is interesting to pause and reflect on Yeshua’s ministry, that it was very demanding on Him. We don’t usually think of it that way, because He is God. However, He was also man. He slept, ate, drank, got tired, rested, etc.

As Yeshua healed people, His reputation spread and people came from farther and farther around. To be clear, it appears that most of these came for selfish reasons, for personal healing or healing of friends or family. They did not come seeking to hear His teaching. The miracles brought them in and then He was able to teach them while they were with Him.

Mark 3:7-12

      7Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, 8and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. 9And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; 10for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. 11Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” 12And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was.

This scripture also sheds light on the incorrect understanding that Yeshua came to heal everyone or healed everyone who came to Him. Some people take this to mean God wants everyone to be healed of all illness. It is not the case. Yeshua wanted to be able to get on a boat to keep distance from the crowds pressing in to touch Him and be healed. It is not that He did not have compassion, but rather that He was there to teach and guide people. He was not there to heal everyone. They were crowding so tightly they were impacting His teaching ministry.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to fully appreciate the tireless and difficult work that Yeshua did during His earthly ministry. Let me not take for granted the physical and emotional demands on Him personally. Help me in my life to seek You through Yeshua for who You are and what You teach and not just for my own personal healing or that of those around me. That said, thank you also that You invite us to come before You with our requests or personal needs and wants, including healing. 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.

Demons, Healer, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Miracles, Miracles, Study the Word, Teachable, Traditions / Holidays

Yeshua Was Accompanied with Signs and Wonders

Yeshua came in the flesh and taught with authority, in a way that was unlike the typical teachers. However, He taught from what we now call the Old Testament and He taught on Sabbath, on Saturday. He reaffirmed the Old Testament as completely relevant and still applicable through His actions and His teaching. He was accompanied by miraculous healing and casting out of demons, and it caused news about Him to spread and drew many to Him.

Perhaps one of the most curious facts is that the demons know exactly who He is and they fear Him. He silenced them so as not to reveal who He was until the right time.

Mark 1:21-34

     21They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach. 22They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 25And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. 27They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.

Crowds Healed

      29And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. 31And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.

      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.

As we reflect on the example of Christ, we can still conclude that the teachings of the Old Testament are still entirely relevant. Would it make sense that Yeshua came to teach something that was no longer relevant?

Further, and contrary to what is commonly accepted, Yeshua recognized Saturday as Sabbath. It is man, not God, who changed this later in history. Even after His death and resurrection, His disciples still recognized Saturday as Sabbath.

Though many think there are no demons today, there is clear separation between casting out demons and healing sickness. They both still exist, though demons are largely discounted and thus ignored as they damage people’s lives today.

Yeshua was accompanied by signs and wonders, which emphasized that He was Messiah and to help spread the news for others to come to Him. This does not mean that miracles and healing and casting out demons does not still take place, but it may help explain why it is not as frequent as when Yeshua was here in the flesh. If it was the normal state of affairs, then it would not have gotten everyone’s attention when Yeshua did it.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help open up my mind to the insights embedded in Your word. Let the Spirit guide me and give me courage to challenge what is considered normal understanding of scripture based on study of what Your word actually says. Let me choose to pursue Your truth rather than what is taught and accepted broadly. 

Matthew 7:13-14

The Narrow and Wide Gates

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

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.

Grace / Forgiveness, Loving / Kind, Miracles, Miracles

Many Signs and Wonders Accompanied Yeshua’s Death and Resurrection

Clearly He was the son of God. Darkness fell on the land when it should normally be light. Yeshua yielded up His spirit, meaning that His physical body died. The temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and rocks were split. There were a lot of very unusual events taking place around the time of Yeshua’s death. YHWH was trying to get people’s attention once more to highlight Yeshua as Messiah. One last series of miracles in regards to Yeshua’s earthly ministry.

Matthew 27:45-56

      45Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” 47And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” 50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

      55Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. 56Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

As we reflect on the many miracles taking place to mark the passing of Messiah in His earthly body, I will highlight one selection of verses I have never heard anyone speak on or write on to further develop. I haver certainly never heard them in a church service. (I am sure someone has developed or studied this somewhere.)

52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Many tombs were opened up as the earth shook when Yeshua died and then were raised from the dead after Yeshua was resurrected several days later. They appeared to many people in the city. As there is no record of them being taken away to heave, I presume they went on to live out their lives until they died again.

Even the roman soldiers, who did not believe in YHWH recognized that this was worthy of notice as they declared, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” Let’s challenge ourselves never to take this momentous event for granted. Our God came in the person of Yeshua to live and die for us. When He walked among us and when He died there were many powerful signs and wonders to declare it such that even the pagans recognized it to some degree. May we never forget or fail to recognize the significance of what happened. May it never get boring or dull for us. May it always be fresh and fill us with perhaps both sorrow and joy.

I invite you to pray with me.

Father, please help us never to grow cold to the many miracles that You provided to help us understand the significance of what happened when Yeshua was crucified and died. Let us never take it for granted or lose the amazement at what happened. Let our love for You and our enthusiasm for Your miracles not grow cold. Amen

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Faith / Trusting God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus (hearing from God), Miracles, Parables, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Bear Fruit for His Kingdom and Build Strong Faith

We can read in Matthew 21 and also in Mark  11 about an historical account in which Yeshua cursed a barren fig tree. I will introduce it here and then include reference from  Barnes Commentary on BibleHub.com which provides good background study notes.

Matthew 21:18-22

The Barren Fig Tree

      18Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.

      20Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” 21And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. 22“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Let us begin by noting that Yeshua was not addressing the fig tree out of anger or because he wanted to give a gardening lesson to His disciples. He was using this as a visual and memorable teaching moment to highlight the state of the people throughout Israel.

The fig tree is a warning for all of us who follow Yahweh. Our purpose is to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. If we are not bearing fruit, then we have lost our purpose and thus may be cursed. This warning aligns well with God’s promise for a blessing or a curse for His people based on our choice in obedience or disobedience.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

26“See, I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse: 27the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; 28and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.

The bottom line is we should take seriously our choices in life to obey and thus bear fruit by living for Yahweh. Do not be complacent individually, as a family, or as a nation. There are consequences. By all means, pray and ask Holy Spirit to help you and others. We do not have to do this alone. Help and encourage one another.

There is also a strong message in Matthew 21 that reinforces the importance of faith and opens up a conversation about promises in the Bible.

Matthew 21:20-22

   20Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” 21And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. 22“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Some promises in the Bible are offered to all that will follow after Yeshua and some promises are directed at a specific group of individuals such as the apostles. It may not always be clear and there may be a difference of opinion.

I believe the promise in these verses about being able to do great miracles with strong faith is aimed at a specific group of disciples, and not everyone who will ever follow Christ afterwards. There is evidence of them being able to do great miracles in the Biblical record. We also can observe that not everyone who follows Christ and believes they can do miracles can do them just by having faith.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have strong faith in You and please help me to bear fruit for Your kingdom. I want to live a life that is pleasing to You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that leads and guides me and thank You for sending Yeshua to teach us, live out an example for us to follow, and die for our sins.  

I encourage those who want to study more context to continue reading the below excerpt from the Barnes commentary on BibleHub.com.

Matthew 21:19
And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

And when he saw a fig-tree in the way … – This tree was standing in the public road.

It was therefore common property and anyone might lawfully use its fruit. Mark says Mark 11:13, “Seeing a fig-tree afar off, having leaves, he came,” etc. Not far off “from the road,” but at a considerable distance from the place where he was. Having loaves, and appearing healthy and luxuriant, they presumed that there would be fruit on it. Mark says Mark 11:13, “he came, if haply he might find anything thereon.” That is, judging from the “appearance” of the tree, it was “probable” that there would be fruit on it. We are not to suppose that our Lord was ignorant of the true condition of the tree, but he acted according to the appearance of things; being a man as well as divine, he acted, of course, as people do act in such circumstances.

And found nothing thereon but leaves only – Mark 11:13 gives as a reason for this that “the time of figs was not yet.” That is, the time “of gathering” the figs was not yet, or had not passed. It was a time when figs were ripe or suitable to eat, or he would not have gone to it, expecting to find them; but the time of gathering them had not passed, and it was to be presumed that they were still on the tree. This took place on the week of the Passover, or in the beginning of April. Figs, in Palestine, are commonly ripe at the Passover. The summer in Palestine begins in March, and it is no uncommon thing that figs should be eatable in April. It is said that they sometimes produce fruit the year round.

Mark 11:12-13 says that this took place on the morning of the day on which he purified the temple. Matthew would lead us to suppose that it was on the day following. Matthew records briefly what Mark records more “fully.” Matthew states the fact that the fig-tree was barren and withered away, without regarding minutely the order or the circumstances in which the event took place. There is no contradiction, because Matthew does not affirm that this took place on the morning after the temple was cleansed, though he places it in that order; nor does he say that a day did not elapse after the fig-tree was cursed before the disciples discovered that it was withered, though he does not affirm that it was so. Such circumstantial variations, where there is no positive contradiction, go greatly to confirm the truth of a narrative. They show that the writers were honest men, and did not “conspire” to deceive the world.

And said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee … – Mark calls this “cursing” the tree Mark 11:21. The word “curse,” as used by him, does not imply “anger,” or disappointment, or malice. It means only “devoting it to destruction,” or causing it to wither away. All the “curse” that was pronounced was in the words “that no fruit should grow on it.” The Jews used the word “curse” not as always implying “wrath or anger,” but to devote to “death,” or to any kind of destruction, Hebrews 6:8. It has been commonly thought that the Saviour performed this miracle to denote the sudden “withering away” or destruction of the Jewish people. They, like the fig-tree, promised fair. That was full of leaves, and they full of professions. Yet both were equally barren; and as that was destroyed, so they were soon to be. It was certain that this would be a good “illustration” of the destruction of the Jewish people, but there is no evidence that Jesus intended it as such, and without such evidence we have no right to say that was its meaning. “And presently the fig-tree withered away.” That is, before another day. See Mark. It is probable that they were passing directly onward, and did not stop then to consider it. Matthew does not affirm that it withered “away in their presence,” and Mark affirms that they made the discovery on the morning after it was “cursed.”

Matthew 21:20
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

And when the disciples saw it – That is, on the morning following that on which it was cursed, Mark 11:20.

They marveled, saying … – Peter said this, Mark 11:21 Matthew means only to say that this was said to him; Mark tells us which one of them said it.

Matthew 21:21
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

Jesus answered and said … – Jesus took occasion from this to establish their faith in God, Mark 11:22

He told them that any difficulty could be overcome by faith. To remove a mountain denotes the power of surmounting or removing any difficulty. The phrase was so used by the Jews. There is no doubt that this was “literally” true – that if “they had the faith of miracles,” they could remove the mountain before them – the Mount of Olives – for this was as easy for God to do by them as to heal the sick or raise the dead. But the Saviour rather referred, probably, to the difficulties and trials which they would be called to endure in preaching the gospel.

Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

And all things … – He adds an encouragement for them to pray, assuring them that they should have all things which they asked.

This promise was evidently a special one, given to them in regard to working miracles. To them it was true, but it is manifest that we have no right to apply this promise to ourselves. It was desired especially for the apostles; nor have we a right to turn it from its original meaning. There are other promises in, abundance on which we “may” rely in prayer, with confident assurance that our prayers will be heard. Compare the notes at Matthew 7:7-11.

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.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Healer, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Jesus (hearing from God), Justice / Judgment, Miracles, Miracles, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Righteous, Salvation, Traditions / Holidays, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Righteous Anger Can Be Productive

After Jesus enters Jerusalem for the Passover feast, and to be crucified, buried and resurrected for our sins, He visits the temple. In Matthew 21, we are reminded that there is such as thing as righteous anger from God against those who profane what He has declared to be holy… to be set aside for His purposes. God is not just love, but is righteous and holy and absolutely feels righteous anger against us when we break His commands and instructions, especially when we know better, or should.

Matthew 21:12-17

12And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den”.

14And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” 17And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

God’s temple is to be set aside as holy, for God’s purposes, not just as market to sell things. So, too are other things which God commands, such as the Sabbath. It is to be set aside to honor God and obey His commands, not profaned or made common by work. God commanded us to celebrate Sabbath on the seventh day of the week from Genesis and reinforced it through the life of Jesus as He did so without fail. (In the Jewish calendar, days start at sundown, so Sabbath actually starts Friday at sundown and ends Saturday at sundown. Sunday was introduced by tradition of men in contradiction to God’s commands.) What God sets apart as holy, we are not to make common. We should keep it holy, whether it is the temple, or the Sabbath, or other things God sets apart as holy.

Notice that Jesus focused the expression of His righteous anger productively. He did not lash out at everyone or everything. He rebuked harshly those doing wrong and then turned and embraced those in need who were seeking Him. He was not out of control.

Jesus, after disrupting the market, welcomed the blind and lame to be healed at the temple. All the chief priests and scribes could do is stand indignant, disregarding the miracles Jesus  performed, and disregarding the truth of who He was. They should have known better, but were unwilling to submit to God when His teaching was different from their traditions of men. They were so blinded by their religion and traditions of men, that theses esteemed and studied scholars of scripture could not recognize Jesus as the Christ and Messiah, even when it was so obvious that even the children could see it. They called out “Hosanna to the Son of David,”.

The chief priests and scribes challenged Jesus that He should deny such a claim, but He did the opposite. He accepted it and rebuked the religious leaders.

Jesus clearly claimed to be the Christ and Messiah. He is not “a good man” or a “good teacher” or a “good prophet”. Jesus Christ is either God, as He claimed, or he is a madman or a liar.  Judaism and Islam have made a significant error in their assessment of Jesus Christ. Jesus is God and to deny Him is to deny the offer of salvation through grace by faith.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to avoid unrighteous anger but also to avoid being complacent in accepting things which are offensive to you. Please help me focus my righteous anger toward productive channels that can help to rebuke wrong and still embrace those who seek you with open arms. If I am rebuked for actions I am doing wrong, please help me not to resist wise correction because of pride or lack courage to change or lack of discernment to see my error. Help me to accept appropriate rebuke from others and make changes in my life. Help me not to miss you and your truth because I am too attached to my traditions and the traditions of family or man. Help me to see and recognize and worship You as the children did in today’s scripture. Father please grant these requests also for all those who are called by Your name. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Miracles, Miracles

What the LORD Reveals to One, He May Not Reveal to Another

There are many examples which are documented in scripture in which the LORD reveals to some what He does not reveal directly to others. One such example is the transfiguration. Only the three closest disciples were able to witness this event. Consider this as some come to you and tell you about what Yahweh is doing in their lives or what they may have seen in a vision or dream or in scripture as it applies to their lives. Yes, we must test everything against scripture and hold on to what is good and we must test for false prophets… but let us not go so far as to outright reject something that passes these tests just because we did not see it with our own eyes.

Matthew 17:1-13

The Transfiguration

      1Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. 7And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” 8And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.

      9As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” 10And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

This was an incredibly important event. Yeshua shared it only with a few. Even others that He trusted, He did not include, and He told them not to reveal it until later.  We will not always know why our Father shows something to some and not others, but we must trust Him. We should avoid feeling jealous or reject the experience that someone else has had just because we were excluded. Don’t look at each time this happens as a rebuke against you. The LORD has His reasons and He does not owe us an explanation as to who is included or not. Let it not cause division among His followers.

Of course there is so much more to this scripture… the meaning of the transfiguration itself, the significance of the religious leaders missing the coming of John the Baptist and Yeshua, and why Yeshua told His disciples not to share this event until after He died and rose from the dead are just a few you can study or reflect on prayerfully.

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, False Prophets / Teachers, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Jesus (hearing from God), Miracles, Scripture (e.g. Bible), Seeking God, Study the Word

We Already Have Enough Evidence; We Don’t Need Another Sign

To put Matthew 16 in context, this was not the beginning of Yeshua’s ministry. He had been doing many miracles in public, with many witnesses. He returned sight to the blind, the lame walked, lepers cleansed, demons cast out and so on. Yeshua even points to the two times He miraculously fed thousands with a few loaves of bread. Think about how many witnesses there were and I am sure they told others. It is in this context that the Pharisees and Sadducees come and ask for a sign.

Matthew 16:1-12

Pharisees Test Jesus

      1The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. 2But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3“And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? 4“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.

      5And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.” 8But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread? 9“Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up? 10“Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up? 11“How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The Pharisees and Sadducees are supposedly learned men who understand the Torah and the writings of the prophets. Yeshua points out that they should already have enough evidence to know He is Messiah, just as they know how to understand the signs in the sky relating to weather.

I think this may point out that they do not want to accept He is Messiah. They come having already decided He is not, or at least with a strong bias against. They are not openly considering the evidence around them. Thus, they are rebuked.

At this point I think we can all relate to the disciples… Yeshua is trying to teach us or show us something and we just don’t get it at first. We try to figure it out but often we really need to just go back to Him and admit we do not understand and ask for more explanation to understand. I think it worthy to note that he does not rebuke them for not understanding, but rather for thinking it was a comment about not having enough to eat when they had just witnessed great miracles feeding thousands from little food. Yeshua is a bit disappointed that they witness the miracles but still don’t understand they can happen any time He chooses.

The leaven of the Pharisees about which we are warned is the false teaching they bring. We should continue to be wary not to assume all that is taught by any teacher or minister is correct. We are called to test it against the word in the Bible. Even in regards to the teaching of Yeshua we do well to test against other scripture to ensure our understanding. Yeshua will not contradict Himself or YHWH.

We have enough evidence already that Yeshua was Messiah. I would encourage everyone to seek it out and really test it so that they realize that the facts and history actually provide a sound basis for our faith. We are stronger when we understand the evidence for our faith and we can articulate it to others. I would encourage you to review and study resources recommended on our list for Studying the Case for Christianity as Truth on our Books and Other Study Tools page. It is worth investing in to strengthen the foundation of your own faith for when storms come and also to be able to articulate to others the facts and evidence that support Yeshua as Messiah to help them overcome the lies of the world. For many, it is not a strong foundation to simply say, “you need to accept it on faith”. Our faith is based on strong evidence. I would even more strongly encourage parents to invest time in this way to lead their children in a strong foundation that will not fade when challenged in educational institutions or the workplace.

We must challenge and test what is taught as fact as we learn to follow Him in His ways, rather than the ways of man. There was at that time and remains much false teaching within the church. It is up to us to study and compare teachings and ask YHWH for insight through the Holy Spirit.

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.

Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Curse, Miracles, Miracles, Obeying God, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Do You Want a Blessing or a Curse?

Yahweh’s prophets are not to be taken lightly. The seem to be given significant power and authority in and of themselves without having to go ask Yahweh first in every case. There is no indication that Elisha went to God to ask for a response to the mockers or the stream. He spoke on the LORD’s behalf and had authority to curse or bless on His behalf.

At some level, 2 Kings 2 reflects the overall choice we have in serving God and being blessed, or rejecting Him and being cursed. We should take it seriously, though clearly our culture at large does not.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

    26“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; 28and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.

2 Kings 2:15-25

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

      15Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 16They said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men, please let them go and search for your master; perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” 17But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men; and they searched three days but did not find him. 18They returned to him while he was staying at Jericho; and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

      19Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.” 20He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21He went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.’” 22So the waters have been purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

      23Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!” 24When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number. 25He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

Ask me if I want a blessing or a curse? Blessing, of course. But if we truly want that then we need to seek and submit to Yahweh through Yeshua. We build relationship and we will want to live according to His ways to be pleasing to Him. He cares how we live.

Ask most folks if they want a blessing or a curse, and they will say blessing. Look at how they live their lives, and in many cases you will see they are selecting the opposite answer and may not even realize it.

Prayerfully reflect on this before Yahweh. Ask Him to help you see any gaps in your relationship with Him, any areas where you are not choosing Him and His ways. Then change in those areas.  Pray for others as well.

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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.