Category Archives: Hearing from God

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Ahab and a Vineyard: From Coveting to Mercy and a Lot to Learn Along the Way

Whoever thinks the Bible is boring or out of date is not really paying attention to what it says and how it relates today. 1 Kings 21 records an action packed, and historically accurate, record of our LORD interacting with His people. We can at once be drawn in by exciting stories and also learn about our Creator and how to have relationship with Him.

In today’s scripture, we see clear example of how coveting leads us further and further in to sin. We see the LORD hates sin and does not just hold us accountable to wickedness as defined by what we ourselves do, but also what we accept and allow others around us or under our authority to do.  We see that even someone who has been very wicked, when they repent, can find mercy from our LORD with genuine repentance.  Finally, the scripture shows us that our sin can affect our family including future generations.

1 Kings 21

Ahab Covets Naboth’s Vineyard

      1Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if you like, I will give you the price of it in money.” 3But Naboth said to Ahab, “The LORD forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” 4So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food.

      5But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating food?” 6So he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you a vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

      8So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city. 9Now she wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people; 10and seat two worthless men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

Jezebel’s Plot

      11So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them. 12They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people. 13Then the two worthless men came in and sat before him; and the worthless men testified against him, even against Naboth, before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. 14Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

      15When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

      17Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19“You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Have you murdered and also taken possession?”’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.”’”

      20Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD. 21“Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel; 22and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and because you have made Israel sin. 23“Of Jezebel also has the LORD spoken, saying, ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.’ 24“The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and the one who dies in the field the birds of heaven will eat.”

      25Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him. 26He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the sons of Israel.

      27It came about when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently. 28Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29“Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s days.”

Reflect prayerfully on all this scripture has to offer us in understanding how to live our lives submitted to our LORD. Apply it to your life specifically. What are you doing well? What should you change?

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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.

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“Come to Me” – Yeshua

The context of Matthew 11:25-27 is building off of prior verses in which Yeshua speaks about how some in certain cities have witnessed many miracles and yet they still have not chosen to repent and follow Yeshua. The punchline is that will be very bad for them (Matthew 11:22 “Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.)

Matthew 11:25-27

Come to Me

      25At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26“Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

      28“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

There are several key concepts of which we should take note:

  • Some things are hidden from the wise that are revealed to those who are simpler. In this context it certainly points to knowing our LORD and dwelling in relationship with Him. One easy example to apply this is to imagine two people witnessing the same miracle, perhaps someone coming back to life in a hospital. One who is wise in his own eyes, perhaps a smart doctor, may declare there is a “scientific” or “medical” explanation that he just can’t identify. He sees the miracle, but dismisses it. The second person perhaps simply embraces the miracle that God has clearly delivered and gives God the glory. We must rely on God, not ourselves and our own wisdom.
  •  All things have been handed over to Yeshua by the Father. Yeshua is mediator and has authority over all.  This is consistent with Matthew 28:18“ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Let us remember this if we are tempted to fret and worry. Yeshua is over all. We can pursue Him and submit to Him and trust in Him!
  • No one can truly and fully know the Father but the Son, and vice versa. They are infinite and far above our ability to fully comprehend. Recognize this, but don’t let it deter you from pursuing an intimate relationship with them!
  • No one can know the Father, except those to which the Son reveals Him. Let us thank Yeshua for our opportunity to know the Father rather than get arrogant about how great we are because we know Him. Let us similarly pray for the lost rather than scorn them.
  • Life is hard. We often feel like we are carrying heavy burdens. Yeshua calls us to Him. He wants us to share a yoke with Him, not to help Him, but to help us! He is the strong “ox” in this metaphor and we are the weak. This is not a call for us to take on a heavy load He is pulling, but rather to let Him help us carry our load. In Yeshua, we find rest for our souls.

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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.

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To Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected

The day of judgment will come for each of us. It is only a question of when. If we die before Yeshua returns, then we may face it individually. Ultimately we will also face a second judgment after He reigns for a thousand years (Revelation 20:11-15).

Let us learn a lesson from Yeshua’s teaching in Matthew 11 as it applies to us personally as individuals. No matter how many sin along side us or accept corruption and live apart from Yahweh and Yeshua, we will face judgment individually.

Matthew 11:20-24

The Unrepenting Cities

      20Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22“Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23“And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24“Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”

When Yeshua calls out the cities, He is really calling out the collection of individuals which have chosen a like path. If there were a righteous person there, they will not be judged as part of a city, though they may suffer in this life being a part of it, as the behaviors of those around us influence our lives as well.

There is not one level of suffering and separation for all, or this teaching of Yeshua would really not make sense. If it will be more tolerable for some than for others, then there are distinctions in the suffering, just as elsewhere in scripture we see distinctions in the rewards.

It is worthy to note why the distinction is made. It is not simply that one city was more wicked than another. There is a different nuance that is important. One city received more miracles, more evidence of Yeshua as Messiah and still rejected Him. Thus the judgment will be more harsh. Think about this personally. As Father blesses individuals and deepens in relationship with us, He expects more from us. Similarly, for those that reject Him, it is worse if they had more opportunity to know Him and still rejected Him.

If you know the LORD, He expects more from you than from those who do not. To those whom much is given much is expected.

Luke 12:47-48

47“And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, 48but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Do not grow complacent, comparing yourself to others in their walk with the Father (or absence of it). Look to the Father, look to the example of Yeshua and the standards laid out for us in the Torah, the writings of the prophets, and the example documented of the earthly ministry and life of Yeshua and His disciples.  Let this be our standard… and it is high. Keep pursuing it.

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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.

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God’s Messengers Often Look Different Than We Expect

Sometimes the ones that Yahweh uses are not exactly what we expect. We must take care to judge not based on our own eyes, but on what our Father values.

John the Baptist is an excellent example, but even today, we need to be careful in what bias we may have in deciding who is or is not serving the LORD. There are many in fancy suits and big churches who serve only themselves and claim the name of Yahweh. There are many others who meet in homes and do not lead large congregations that are truly serving the LORD.

Matthew 11:7-19

Jesus’ Tribute to John

      7As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8“But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces! 9“But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.

10“This is the one about whom it is written,
‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU,
WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’

11“Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. 13“For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14“And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. 15“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

      16“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, 17and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

There is, of course, much that could be unpacked and considered in this scripture, but what strikes me the most is how it highlights that we should take great care in how we evaluate and accept messengers of the Father. They are not always packaged as we might expect. In fact, it is often the opposite. We must look past our own bias and expectations from perspective of man and seek to see through the perspective of the Father.

It also highlights how human nature has not changed. Some people will find excuses to dismiss God and His messengers regardless of how they come. Some rejected John because he did not drink. Others mocked Jesus because He did. We should avoid be arrogant and thinking “this will never happen to me”. Instead, find humility and pray for the LORD to open our eyes to see as He does.

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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.

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Did Jesus Really Claim to be God?

Most of us who accept Yeshua as Messiah already know the answer. He claimed to be Messiah, God in the flesh. Some who deny Christ as Messiah can not deny that He existed and walked on this earth. The evidence is too overwhelming. So instead, they claim that Yeshua was only a good teacher or a prophet. This can not be so, however, because Yeshua claimed to be Messiah.

If someone claims to be Messiah, there are three options…  he is crazy, he is a liar, or he is Messiah. Good teacher and prophet are not rational choices as they would not claim to be Messiah.

As a result of that logic, some then say that Yeshua never claimed to be Messiah. The truth is that there are many examples where He did so. In fact it is so obvious, that we could simply point out that this is fundamentally why the Pharisees wanted to kill Him. They understood who He claimed to be very clearly.

Matthew 11 provides one example where Yeshua claimed to be Messiah, in response to John’s (the Baptist) inquiry. These examples are good to understand so we can defend the truth of the gospel against common arguments that people use to draw people away from following Yeshua.

Matthew 11:1-6

John’s Questions

      1When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.

      2Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” 4Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. 6“And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

Rather than me building out the background context and details myself, I will quote from a section or Barnes commentary, available at BibleHub.com. It is not that Barnes commentary is authoritative, but in this case it is well laid out and documented.

Excerpt from Barnes commentary on Matthew 11:

Matthew 11:3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

Art thou he that should come? – That is, Art thou the Messiah, or the Christ? The Jews expected a Saviour. His coming had been long foretold, Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 9:1-6; Isaiah 11:1-5; Isaiah 35:4-6; Isaiah 53:1-12; Daniel 9:24-27. See also John 6:14. Compare Deuteronomy 18:18-19. In common language, therefore, he was familiarly described as “he that was to come.” Luke adds here Luke 7:21, that at the time when the messengers came to him, Jesus “cured many of their infirmities, and plagues, and of evil spirits.” An answer was therefore ready to the inquiries of John.

Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
Go and show John again … – Jesus referred them for an answer to these miracles. They were proof that he was the Messiah. Prophets had indeed performed miracles, but no prophet had performed so many, or any so important. Jesus, moreover, performed them “in his own name” and by his own power. Prophets had done it by the power of God. Jesus, therefore, performed the works which none but the Messiah could do, and John might easily infer that he was the Christ.

The poor have the gospel preached to them – It was predicted of the Messiah that he would preach good tidings to the meek Isaiah 61:1; or, as it is rendered in the New Testament, “He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor,” Luke 4:18. By this, therefore, also, John might infer that he was truly the Messiah. It adds to the force of this testimony that the “poor” have always been overlooked by Pharisees and philosophers. No sect of philosophers had condescended to notice them before Christ, and no system of religion had attempted to instruct them before the Christian religion. In all other schemes the poor have been passed by as unworthy of notice.

Matthew 11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

And blessed is he … – The word “offence” means a “stumbling-block.” See the notes at Matthew 5:29. This verse might be rendered, “Happy is he to whom I shall not prove a stumbling-block.” That is, happy is he who shall not take offence at my poverty and lowliness of life, so as to reject me and my doctrine. Happy is the one who can, notwithstanding that poverty and obscurity, see the evidence that I am the Messiah, and follow me. It is not improbable that John wished Jesus publicly to proclaim himself as the Christ, instead of seeking retirement. Jesus replied that he gave sufficient evidence of that by his works; that a man might discover it if he chose; and that he was blessed or happy who should appreciate that evidence and embrace him as the Christ, in spite of his humble manner of life.

Clearly, Yeshua claimed to be Messiah, and He referred to the Torah and writings of the prophets to convey that message.

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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, Obeying God, Seeking God, Speaking, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets

When You Feel Totally Alone, You Can Still Turn to Our Heavenly Father

The chapters preceding 1 Kings 19 and the earlier verses in 1 Kings 19 record a dramatic journey for Elijah. He is zealous for Yahweh when others have turned away to serve false gods.

We quickly see that when we feel totally alone, we can find comfort in our heavenly Father.

1 Kings 19:9-21

Elijah at Horeb

      9Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

      11So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

      15The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; 16and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17“It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. 18“Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

      19So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. 20He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.

This scripture is rich with content. I love how the LORD comforts and supports Elijah in His time of difficulty, even as the LORD redirects him away from hiding out and gives him some marching orders. When Elijah feels totally alone, the LORD mentions that there are 7000 others who have not bowed to Baal. That’s not many out of all Israel, but Elijah is not alone!

There is a dramatic presentation for us to help us remember that at times if we are to hear from Yahweh, we must be quiet and still before Him and listen closely. There will be powerful distractions, but we need to focus and be still to hear from Him.

I think we can all be encouraged also to see that even a great prophet like Elijah sometimes did not know what to do and had to wait upon the LORD for guidance. Maybe this can be encouraging to us when we think we should have all the answers and we do not. Let us turn to and trust the LORD.

I also tend to get discouraged when I witness so much mixing and mingling of bad teaching with God’s word among those in the church today. It is really not that different than the days of Elijah. I am encouraged that the more and more we may feel alone as true followers submitted to Yeshua, that there is more of a remnant out there and they will be preserved. I am encouraged that the LORD may bring someone like Elijah to lead the people back to Him.

We should all be praying for the LORD to send workers for the harvest, to send messengers and teachers to lead His people back to Him. We should be praying for all who are called by His name to repent from their wicked ways and return to Him, that He would heal our land.

Do not overlook that to hear from the LORD we need to be still and know that He is God.

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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.

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The Faith of a Prophet – Elijah on Mount Caramel

The record of Elijah challenging the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel is a classic contrast of those who put their faith in false gods and those who put their faith in Yahweh. You see ultimately both side by side, played out in front of the people of Israel.

Those who trust in Baal are humiliated as Baal and all false gods have no power. By stark contrast, however, we see Yahweh deliver in spectacular fashion. He does not do so for Elijah’s glory, but for His own.

1 Kings 18:20-46

God or Baal on Mount Carmel

      20So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word. 22Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23“Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. 24“Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.”

      25So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” 26Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. 27It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” 28So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. 29When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

      30Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. 31Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. 33Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. 34And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.

Elijah’s Prayer

      36At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37“Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” 38Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.” 40Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

      41Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.” 42So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. 44It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’” 45In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46Then the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.

If we dig a little deeper we quickly see the depth of Elijah’s faith. He went to a wicked king who blamed him for the drought, rather than accepting that it was the king’s own sin that brought it on. He comes before the people of Israel to confront 450 priests of Baal. He is clearly outnumbered. He has such strong faith that he intentionally lets them go first and then makes his own challenge seemingly more difficult by pouring water over everything. Reflect for a moment on the strength of his faith.

Elijah was focused on Yahweh, not himself. He did not do this for his own glory, but for Yahweh. In the end, Elijah’s faith and courage to stand firmly and openly for the LORD brought glory to God and led many people back to Him.

Reflect personally on where in our lives we can make a public stand for our Father, for His glory and to bring others back to Him. It likely will not always be as dramatic as Elijah on Mount Carmel, but there are many opportunities where we can stand up for the LORD or remain quiet and fade into the background, avoiding putting the focus on Him. Ask our Father to help you stand firmly for Him and for His glory!

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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.

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When You Sin, Accept Correction and Avoid Blaming Someone Else

Israel was experiencing  the punishment of a drought due to the wickedness of Ahab as king. Let us not forget that it was said of him in 1 Kings 16:33 that he “did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him”.  It was not a secret. Elijah had confronted Ahab on behalf of Yahweh. With that in mind, let us read 1 Kings 18.

1 Kings 18:1-19

Obadiah Meets Elijah

      1Now it happened after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.” 2So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 3Ahab called Obadiah who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly; 4for when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.) 5Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.” 6So they divided the land between them to survey it; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself.

      7Now as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is this you, Elijah my master?” 8He said to him, “It is I. Go, say to your master, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’” 9He said, “What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death? 10“As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you. 11“And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’ 12“It will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you where I do not know; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth. 13“Has it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, that I hid a hundred prophets of the LORD by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water? 14“And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here”’; he will then kill me.” 15Elijah said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” 16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

      17When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?” 18He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and you have followed the Baals. 19“Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Obadiah was a god fearing man. He took personal risk to rescue prophets of Yahweh. He was clearly afraid of Ahab, but did so anyway. What a difficult position for him to have to have in serving such a wicked king. It is interesting to read about him and reflect on what this experience must have been like from his perspective.

However, let us also consider Ahab. Ahab’s attitude reflects the attitude of so many of us when we are confronted by our sin and called to repent, change our ways to follow Yahweh. Ahab did much evil, more than any other king before him. He was confronted by a highly respected prophet of Yahweh. He experienced the power of Yahweh first hand in the drought, predicted by Elijah. But how did Ahab internalize this series of events?

Rather than repenting, as David would have done, Ahab blames Elijah as a troublemaker for Israel. Ahab completely misses the point that it is his wickedness that causes this trouble. He stays anchored in doing things his way and blaming Elijah. This is like the criminal who blames the judge for going to prison rather than accepting that it was his choice to steal that put him there.

Prayerfully ask the LORD to help you to accept rebuke and correction and to change behavior. Ask him to show you where you are doing things your way, or the way of man in our culture around us. Ask Him to teach you the wonderful ways of His law.

Do not let pride or a fear of admitting that you have done things the wrong way all your life keep you from turning to our loving Father today and walking with Him for the time you have remaining!

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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.

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Faith to be Healed; Faith to Spread the Good News

Even when confronted with miracles, such as dramatic healing or casting out of demons, we must still choose to believe. One can always come up with a reason to disbelieve, no matter the evidence in front of them. Verse 34 is an example of this in Matthew 9.

Matthew 9:18-38

Miracles of Healing

      18While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” 19Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples.

      20And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; 21for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will get well.” 22But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.

      23When Jesus came into the official’s house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him. 25But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26This news spread throughout all that land.

      27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” 30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” 31But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.

      32As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him. 33After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” 34But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

      35Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

      36Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38“Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

The Pharisees in verse 34 rationalize away miracles as they witness them. They had decided already that Yeshua was not from Yahweh, and thus came up with ways to explain away the evidence in front of them. It is likewise with many today. There are many who though they have eyes do not see, though they have ears, do not hear. (Refer to Ezekiel 12:2 and Mark 8:14-21.)

Creation itself declares His glory, but people explain it away with fanciful notions that everything in this complex universe came out of nothing without a creative force behind it. My lawn can not even organize itself and stay looking nice without my mowing and caring for it. How then can the world do so in all its detail and complexity?

Take care not to explain away miracles that Yahweh does around you. Allow yourself to test them and test that the message associated with them is consistent with Yahweh’s instructions and character in the written scriptures. Then allow yourself to believe in what you witness.  There is more evidence for a divine Creator than for evolution and everything from nothing. It is not a blind faith.

I find verse 30 and 31 to be very intriguing. Why did Yeshua not want them to tell others? Was it good or bad that they did? What I can tell you is that they were obviously overwhelmed by what they experienced and could not help themselves but to tell others about Yeshua. I would hope all of us (myself included) would become a bit more like them in that we would boldly and joyfully share what Yeshua has done in our lives and point others to Him.

Challenge yourself to point at least one person a week toward Yeshua. Keep a journal of how you share and what comes of it. We may or may not know the impact we have on others, but we know we are called to share the gospel of Christ with others.

Read more – The Great Commission – Make Disciples of all the Nations

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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.

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Yeshua Identified Himself as Son of Man, Messiah

Some claim that Yeshua never claimed to be God, that He was only a prophet or teacher. This is simply and importantly not true. Here is one example where clearly He spoke in a way that communicated He was God. In Matthew 9, Yeshua is recorded as clearly claiming He could forgive sins, which the Jewish people associated with authority that God alone possessed. Further, Yeshua refers to Himself in the same passage as Son of Man, which refers back to Daniel 7 where we find a Messianic prophecy. Yeshua is clearing indicating that He is the Messiah anticipated in Daniel’s prophecy. This is confirmed by the response of those who did not believe He was God as they conclude He is blaspheming. They clearly understood what He was claiming.

Matthew 9:1-8

A Paralytic Healed

      1Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city.

      2And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” 4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5“Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? 6“But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” 7And he got up and went home. 8But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Daniel 7:13-14

13“I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.

      14“And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.

A few additional thoughts not to miss…

Yeshua points back to and validates the continued importance of the Torah and the writings of the prophets. They are not obsolete and have not lost any meaning with His coming in the flesh.

Yeshua validates fulfillment of the prophecy given Daniel and recorded in Daniel 7. We should be greatly encouraged about the authority of scripture when we see how prophecies made hundreds of years earlier are shown to come to pass. There are many such examples in scripture. We can also be encouraged that Yahweh is not surprised. He does not need a “plan B”. He knows all that will happen as if it has already happened.

Lastly, let us not overlook a miraculous healing Yeshua did to physically heal the man. I find it interesting when such a significant aspect of the scripture could almost be overlooked. There is a lot packed into this scripture!

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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.