Category Archives: Blessed

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Eternal, Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Guide, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Humility, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Unteachable / Foolish, Wise

God’s Eternity and Man’s Brief Life Span

January 8, 2018 John (HFJ Director)

It is good for us to focus on the Lord, His eternal nature. He is far above even our ability to fully understand Him. We are transitory… each of us with a brief life in which even that which we create will fade in short time. Only in the Lord is there eternity and I choose to spend eternity with Him.

This prayer does well to remind us that our time is brief and all that we think is important to “accomplish” is not going to last. Our relationship with the Lord, and any we can help lead to Him… those things are eternal.

With that in mind, is the focus of your life on the right things? Are you placing your value in career and business? hobbies? or serving the Lord and leading and supporting others to submit to and serve Him as Lord?

Psalm 90

BOOK 4

God’s Eternity and Man’s Transitoriness.

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.

1Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

2Before the mountains were born
Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

3You turn man back into dust
And say, “Return, O children of men.”

4For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it passes by,
Or as a watch in the night.

5You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep;
In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew.

6In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew;
Toward evening it fades and withers away.

7For we have been consumed by Your anger
And by Your wrath we have been dismayed.

8You have placed our iniquities before You,
Our secret sins in the light of Your presence.

9For all our days have declined in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a sigh.

10As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we fly away.

11Who understands the power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You?

12So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

13Do return, O LORD; how long will it be?
And be sorry for Your servants.

14O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

15Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the years we have seen evil.

16Let Your work appear to Your servants
And Your majesty to their children.

17Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Faith / Trusting God, False Prophets / Teachers, Government, Wickedness / Evil

False Prophets and Teachers Deceive In Many Areas

December 27, 2017 John (HFJ Director)

Scripture warns us extensively about false teachers and false prophets, from Old Testament through to New Testament. I have not even tried to capture many of them here, but encourage you to take a few minutes and try an internet search for “bible warns about false teachers and prophets” and look for yourself. For the purposes of today’s article, I have selected one.

2 Peter 2:1-3

The Rise of False Prophets

1But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

We often consider these warnings in regards to those specifically teaching and prophesying falsely about God and God’s word, and we are right to do so. This is the intent of the scriptural warnings. We are to study God’s word, pray for the Spirit to guide us and test everything against God’s word. We are to hold to what is good and reject what is bad. We are to call out false teachers and prophets and not follow them. They are very destructive, teaching wrong doctrine about the Lord in the name of the Lord. They will be held accountable.

However, we should not think that this is the only area in which there will be false teachers. Many try to re-write history to erode the rich historical value and influence of Christianity on the world. They gain control of schools and curricula and have systematically worked over decades to remove God from the public schools and government jobs in our country. There is not end except the elimination or corruption of Christianity that will please them.

I have been amazed how much false information has been treated as “gospel truth” in regards to the founding of the USA and the intent of the founders in regards to practicing their Christian faith as an active part of their daily work, in government or otherwise.

I encourage you to invest some time in testing everything which you are told about how our country is intended to function in regards to “separation of church and state”. I recommend investing in The Silencing of God: The Dismantling of America’s Christian Heritage and its sequel, America’s Most Pressing Concern. I have them in DVD format. I am not sure if they come in another format. I find them very “eye opening” indeed. It is filled with explicit examples and facts that totally reveal the lies which have been taught broadly as fact over the past decades. There is much to study, and likely many other good resources, but I find these provide a great starting point as you test everything.

Understanding the truth of how God intended our country to function is vital to recovering and defending our Christian faith and the Christian foundation of our United States of America, which was indeed a gift and blessing from the Lord to those who were bold enough to put their lives at risk to pursue a life where they could worship Him freely and form a society based completely on the principles of His instruction.

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Abortion, All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Free Will, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness

Be A Joyful Servant of the Lord

December 12, 2017 John (HFJ Director)

Mary is an intriguing figure. Some make statues of her and pray to her, and this is clearly wrong. She is not God. Only God answers prayers. However, we should take care that we don’t dismiss her too quickly just because of how people have put too much emphasis on her. She is, in fact, a wonderful example of a servant of the Lord who submitted her life and her plans to the Lord, even when it was disruptive to her life and could have resulted in breaking up her engagement to Joseph and possibly disgracing her in the community and with her parents. This was a big deal in the culture at that time for an unwed girl to become pregnant. Only those to whom God revealed the truth would believe that she was made pregnant by the Holy Spirit and not her own indiscretion.

We can see how she is filled with joy and counts herself blessed over the situation as she visits Elizabeth during her pregnancy. Isn’t it wonderful that the Lord provided Mary with Elizabeth, who was also made pregnant with God’s help… though in a different way in that God “opened her womb” and allowed her husband to make her pregnant. She had previously been barren.

Let us also not miss that God provides us with a very clear example of the baby in Elizabeth’s womb being very much alive and responsive to the outside world… before birth. Some just can’t seem to grasp that obvious biological concept that babies are humans from the moment of conception and should be treated as such. Abortion is abominable.

Luke 1:39-56

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43“And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44“For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

The Magnificat

46And Mary said:
“My soul exalts the Lord,

47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

48“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.

49“For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.

50“AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION
TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.

51“He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

52“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.

53“HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.

54“He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,

55As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

56And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

I encourage you to pray for the Spirit to fill you with joy as you serve the Lord, even as He asks you to do something you feel is very hard. Check yourself if you find yourself complaining about how hard something is that He wants you to do. Trust in Him. He is able. Joyfully and willingly embrace what He calls you to do. If you are submitted and obedient, He will work through you with His power to accomplish what He calls you to do.

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Blessed, Church / Body of Christ

Walk In A Manner Worthy of Your Calling

November 18, 2017 John (HFJ Director)

Ephesians 4 is a good reminder for all of us who call Jesus “Lord”. Paul reminds us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. He calls us to walk with humility, gentleness, patience, and showing tolerance for one another in love. We are to be diligent in preserving the unity of the Spirit of the body of Christ in peace.

Even amongst those who submit to Christ, we will have a diversity of personalities and make mistakes or impose on one another, even unintentionally. If we dwell together in life as a body of Christ… a family of believers… then we will inevitably have our differences. We are not to let them cause strife and division in the body.

We are not all the same. We have different gifts and abilities. We have different callings. Let us celebrate how we can all work together to glorify God even more than we could hope to do so alone. As a body we can unite around the word and Spirit of God as the truth that should guide us. We need never be blown to and fro and tossed about by false doctrine and lies of men. We can unite around the truth and build up the body in love in such a way as to honor and glorify the Lord.

Ephesians 4:1-16

Unity of the Spirit

1Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

8Therefore it says,
“WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,
HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”

9(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

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Blessed, Contentment, Discerning / Judging, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Humility, Idols / False Gods, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

He Gives Us Over To The Stubbornness Of Our Hearts

October 23, 2017 John (HFJ Director)

Psalm 81 was written about God’s goodness and Israel’s waywardness… or behavior of going astray from God and pursuing ungodly things. God established Israel and provided for them through many mighty deeds and yet they continued to stray from Him to chase false gods and selfish pursuits. A Psalm like this one could very easily be written about the USA with a few minor changes to the historical references such as “coming out of Egypt”. Jehovah blessed our Christian nation at its birth and yet we as a nation continue to stray from God.

As a result of our rejection of Him as a nation, He gives us over to the stubbornness of our hearts and we now walk in our own devices… an immoral society overrun by sin which is normalized throughout the land. Many gods are worshipped… money, sex, power, sports, status, and perhaps most of all self. Coveting is the national pastime for many, always lusting after what others have rather than finding contentment with what God has provided.

Psalm 81

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph.

1Sing for joy to God our strength;
Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.

2Raise a song, strike the timbrel,
The sweet sounding lyre with the harp.

3Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
At the full moon, on our feast day.

4For it is a statute for Israel,
An ordinance of the God of Jacob.

5He established it for a testimony in Joseph
When he went throughout the land of Egypt.
I heard a language that I did not know:

6“I relieved his shoulder of the burden,
His hands were freed from the basket.

7“You called in trouble and I rescued you;
I answered you in the hiding place of thunder;
I proved you at the waters of Meribah.

Selah.

8“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you;
O Israel, if you would listen to Me!

9“Let there be no strange god among you;
Nor shall you worship any foreign god.

10“I, the LORD, am your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

11“But My people did not listen to My voice,
And Israel did not obey Me.

12“So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart,
To walk in their own devices.

13“Oh that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!

14“I would quickly subdue their enemies
And turn My hand against their adversaries.

15“Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.

16“But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Pray for revival personally, in your family, in your local church, in your state, in the nation and across the world. Live out the revival in your daily life. Pray, study, spend time with our Lord. Ask for His guidance in your life and be prepared to give up your desires and your plans in favor of His. You may well find that what you desire was never really yours to begin with but only that which our culture indoctrinated you to pursue. What He wants for us is much better.

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Blessed

The Lord Bless You and Keep You

October 6, 2017 John (HFJ Director)

What a beautiful benediction! I pray each of us would seek this from the Lord for ourselves and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with humility and gratitude. He is truly gracious to His people.

Numbers 6:22-27

Aaron’s Benediction

22Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23“Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:

24The LORD bless you, and keep you;

25The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;

26The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’

27“So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.”

Amen!

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Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Righteous, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Blessings of Obedience or Curse of Disobedience

August 28, 2017 John (HFJ Director)

Many in the USA have become arrogant, giving full credit to man for the success of the nation… even as the moral fabric of our culture continues to rapidly deteriorate around us. They exclude the very obvious presence of God in establishing our nation and the historical facts that document how the founders put together the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the nation itself based on a strong Christian faith. Separation of church and state simply meant the government would not impose a particular sect of Christianity on its people (e.g. Protestantism, Catholicism, etc.). Christianity itself was integrated into their very discussions in government and leadership addresses from the government to the people and the public schools. Monuments of the 10 Commandments were deliberately highlighted. Though they were imperfect for sure, they glorified God and God blessed the founding of the nation.

Today we stand in stark contrast with this image. Much of the nation despises God and rejects Him. Even those who claim Him by name, somehow have bought the lie that He is to be separated from government. As such we leave government to men to lead instead of God and it degrades into larger and larger bureaucracy which takes money from folks and wastes it badly. It expands to have more and more control over the freedom of the individual and state as it was never intended to have. It removes God from more and more of our culture fostering an environment in which wickedness and depravity grow.

There is blessing in obedience to Jehovah and curse in disobedience. Make no mistake about it. Men are not in control, God is.

Leviticus 26

Blessings of Obedience

1‘You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God. 2‘You shall keep My sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary; I am the LORD. 3‘If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, 4then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. 5‘Indeed, your threshing will last for you until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until sowing time. You will thus eat your food to the full and live securely in your land. 6‘I shall also grant peace in the land, so that you may lie down with no one making you tremble. I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from the land, and no sword will pass through your land. 7‘But you will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword; 8five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword. 9‘So I will turn toward you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will confirm My covenant with you. 10‘You will eat the old supply and clear out the old because of the new. 11‘Moreover, I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not reject you. 12‘I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people. 13‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would not be their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

Penalties of Disobedience

14‘But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, 15if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, 16I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away; also, you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat it up. 17‘I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; and those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you. 18‘If also after these things you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19‘I will also break down your pride of power; I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze. 20‘Your strength will be spent uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit.

21‘If then, you act with hostility against Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times according to your sins. 22‘I will let loose among you the beasts of the field, which will bereave you of your children and destroy your cattle and reduce your number so that your roads lie deserted.

23‘And if by these things you are not turned to Me, but act with hostility against Me, 24then I will act with hostility against you; and I, even I, will strike you seven times for your sins. 25‘I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant; and when you gather together into your cities, I will send pestilence among you, so that you shall be delivered into enemy hands. 26‘When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread in rationed amounts, so that you will eat and not be satisfied.

27‘Yet if in spite of this you do not obey Me, but act with hostility against Me, 28then I will act with wrathful hostility against you, and I, even I, will punish you seven times for your sins. 29‘Further, you will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you will eat. 30‘I then will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols, for My soul shall abhor you. 31‘I will lay waste your cities as well and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your soothing aromas. 32‘I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it. 33‘You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.

34‘Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. 35‘All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on it. 36‘As for those of you who may be left, I will also bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. And the sound of a driven leaf will chase them, and even when no one is pursuing they will flee as though from the sword, and they will fall. 37‘They will therefore stumble over each other as if running from the sword, although no one is pursuing; and you will have no strength to stand up before your enemies. 38‘But you will perish among the nations, and your enemies’ land will consume you. 39‘So those of you who may be left will rot away because of their iniquity in the lands of your enemies; and also because of the iniquities of their forefathers they will rot away with them.

40‘If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me— 41I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies—or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, 42then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. 43‘For the land will be abandoned by them, and will make up for its sabbaths while it is made desolate without them. They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes. 44‘Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. 45‘But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the LORD.’”

46These are the statutes and ordinances and laws which the LORD established between Himself and the sons of Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai.

Pray for revival amongst believers to take back our nation and be a light to the world. Pray for God’s help for believers as individuals and communities to lead that revival by example. Pray for even those who have not before truly known Him to submit to the Lord and seek to honor and glorify Him. Remain active in demonstrating and sharing your faith and influence the communities and government to the best of your abilities to restore Jehovah to His rightful place as the focal point of all we do as individuals, communities and a nation.

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Blessed, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Heaven and Hell, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness

Reflections On Life, From One Who Nears The End

May 12, 2016 John (HFJ Director)

Many have rightly observed that as someone approaches the end of their life, they often have increasing insight into what was really most important… about what they did right and what they should have done differently. Sometimes even those who spent their whole lives pursuing some idol, such as money and power, begin to realize how empty that pursuit really was. How much more wisdom can we gain, then, from listening to a righteous man as he reflects on his life and walk with God.

Genesis 48

Israel’s Last Days

1Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2When it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed. 3Then Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5“Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6“But your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7“Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

8When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well.” 12Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground. 13Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.

15He blessed Joseph, and said,
“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

16The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
And may my name live on in them,
And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

20He blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22“I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

Israel found his relationship with God to be of highest importance. He reflected back on the promises God made and spoke of them in complete confidence that they would come to pass even though he did not yet see it with his own eyes. There is no hint of regret or lack of faith that God’s promises were not yet fulfilled as of the end of Israel’s life. Rather there is a confident faith that they are in the process of being fulfilled.

Israel valued family… in particular the family he had once lost and then had restored. He did not complain to God that Joseph had been lost, but rather gives glory to God that he was able to see not only Joseph again but also his children.

It was of high importance to Jacob to pass along his blessing to Joseph and Joseph’s sons. Once again, this demonstrates strong faith in the multi-generational promise of God.

There is no bitterness or fear in Israel. He reflects on the loss of Rachel and the sorrow he experienced in that, but gives every confidence from this record in scripture that he is prepared for death, prepared to continue his journey with God beyond the confines of this earthly life.

Reflect on your life for a few moments. Do not rush it. Does your life reflect the values that Israel reflected on at the end of his life? Are you satisfied you are living for God and obeying His commands? Does your life reflect God’s will or your own? Do you have a relationship with God in which you hear His specific directions for your life? Do you seek Him in prayer, study His word, and give honor, praise and thanks to Him consistently?

Are you satisfied with your family relationships?

Do you hold any bitterness or resentment toward others or God?

What changes do you think God wants you to make?

Whether you find yourself nearing the end of this life or anticipating decades yet to come, take time to evaluate your life. Humble yourself to be willing to admit, to yourself and to God, that you should make some changes and then go about making those changes while you still have time. None of our tomorrows are promised to us, no matter what are age and health may be.

Are you ready for what comes next after you die in this world?

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

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

Bitterness / Resentment, Blessed, Faith / Trusting God, Peace / Rest, Righteousness / Serving God, Suffering / Adversity, Thankfulness

Find Peace Through Faith, No Matter Where God Places You

March 28, 2016 John (HFJ Director)

All of us have experienced hardship in our lives, but few of us experience the level of hardship that Joseph experienced as recorded in Genesis. After being sold into slavery by his family, slandered by his master’s wife and thrown into jail, and remaining in jail several years, Joseph maintained a righteous attitude and relationship toward God. In fact as God raised him out of his affliction after many years, Joseph was not bitter about the time of suffering but was thankful to God for what He provided. Joseph found peace through relationship with God and faithfully executed the responsibility God had placed in his hands.

Genesis 41:50-57

50Now before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. 51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52He named the second Ephraim, “For,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

53When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do.” 56When the famine was spread over all the face of the earth, then Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth.

In large part because of Joseph’s attitude toward God and men, his patience and lack of bitterness… his faith, God blessed Joseph with great responsibility and prosperity in a way that Joseph could certainly never have even imagined. God used Joseph to save many throughout Egypt and surrounding territory… including, as we will read further in Genesis, his own family.

With faith in God, Joseph was able to move beyond his past troubles and find peace in where God had placed him. I pray God would similarly help each of us as His followers to move beyond whatever trials and struggles we experience and find peace in faithfully serving God where He places us.

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

Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Blessed, Can God Use Me?, Consequences of Sin, Family, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Prophecy

God Can Use Us Even Though We Make Many Mistakes

February 21, 2016 John (HFJ Director)

Are you living your life without making mistakes? Do you have it all figured out? If you answered yes, than… quite frankly… you are wrong. None except Jesus Himself live the perfect life. Even among those of us who wholeheartedly seek after and submit to God, we can only do our best and ask God for His help to live according to His commands. For those of you who answered “no”… the good news is that God can use us even though we make mistakes.

Let us explore two sides of Jacob’s life in Genesis 35:9-22. Jacob has such a personal relationship with God, that God continually appears to him and communicates important things and Jacob receives this instruction and follows it. God tells Jacob once again that he will now be called Israel and again reinforces the promise and prophecy that many nations shall come from him.

However we see also, that even this great moment for Jacob in the presence of God is experienced in the midst of his continuing family struggles for which he seems to be at a loss to be able to solve in order to more effectively lead his family. We learned in Genesis 34 and earlier in Genesis 35 that Jacob settled and remained in an ungodly land. His daughter was raped, his sons used treachery and deceit to kill many as punishment to the one who mistreated their sister, and as his household packs up to leave, Jacob finds idols and foreign gods among them. They were not pure, not holy (set apart for God’s use), but rather had blended with the pagans around them to some extent.

Jacob Is Named Israel

9Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him.

10God said to him,
“Your name is Jacob;
You shall no longer be called Jacob,
But Israel shall be your name.”
Thus He called him Israel.

11God also said to him,
“I am God Almighty;
Be fruitful and multiply;
A nation and a company of nations shall come from you,
And kings shall come forth from you.

12“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac,
I will give it to you,
And I will give the land to your descendants after you.”

13Then God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him. 14Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel.

16Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe labor. 17When she was in severe labor the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for now you have another son.” 18It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

22It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.

We see Jacob again hit hard by family trouble in verse 22, when his eldest son has sex with Jacob’s concubine. This was a huge disgrace for all involved. I am sure Reuben thought “no one will know”… but that is rarely the case among people when we sin… and God always knows. Of course, we could also have quite a discussion on why Jacob even had concubines… this is not consistent with God’s plan for marriage. From the beginning, with Adam and Eve, God intended it to be one man and one woman in marriage… no extra wives, no concubines.

Studying earlier points in Jacob’s life, we see that leading his family to honor God in their daily lives and relationships is not a new struggle for Jacob. In fact his wives struggled badly when they married him, competing with one another rather than showing love within his household. Ultimately this jealousy resulted in his failure by sleeping with their maid servants all in pursuit of sons. Go back further and we see where he had to run away from home to get away from an angry brother who wanted to kill him, after Jacob deceived his aging father to receive a blessing which Isaac intended for Esau. It goes even further back… Isaac and Rebekah chose favorites in their family, each openly loving one son more than the other.

Suffice it to say, that Jacob did not have every aspect of his life together and going well. So what is my point? Why do I point this failure of Jacob’s out?

First, we can all take heart and be encouraged that God can use us, can have intimate relationship with us, even when our lives are not entirely in order. We must, however, be submitted to God, as Jacob was. We can not be in open rebellion to God, intentionally disregarding His commands in how we are to live.

Secondly, even when we are walking with God in our lives and hearing from Him, we should take heed to purify ourselves, our family, our household. Consciously choose to submit to God and to follow His ways. Study the Bible and apply what it teaches to your lives. Change your ways to be set apart for God rather than to blend with the ungodly around you. There are consequences to leaving sin in our lives. Consider the mess that Jacob’s family experienced. It was not “God punishing them”, but rather it was natural consequences for not living God’s way. God tells us how to live, but we must choose to do so or live with the consequences.

Do not be complacent just because you have a relationship with God but rather use that relationship as a strong foundation to transform your life and that of your family to reflect God’s values and God’s will in every aspect of your life. Seeking to change our lives to live according to God’s instructions is not a one time adjustment, but rather a difficult and intentional journey that will last the rest of our lives.

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

Sharing God's word through devotionals and other resources. Helping you study the Bible and apply it to your life. Helping young children to enjoy the Bible at our Kid Zone.

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Sharing God's word through devotionals and other resources. Helping you study the Bible and apply it to your life. Helping young children to enjoy the Bible at our Kid Zone.