Category Archives: Faith / Trusting God

Am I on the path?, Faith / Trusting God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Seeking God

A Question We Each Must Answer: Who Do We Say Jesus Is?

The answer to this question should define our life. “Who do we say Jesus is?” If He is God, then what will we do about it? How will we let that shape our lives?

Yeshua poses important questions to Peter in Mark 8. “Who do people say that I am?” and “But who do you say that I am?” Few reasonable people can debate the true existence of the historical Yeshua who lived, taught the word of God, suffered and died and then rose from the dead. The evidence is overwhelming for those who actually consider it without bias against it. Some make up different excuses. Some say Yeshua was just a prophet, or a good teacher, but some of us fully embrace the truth of who He is… like Peter.

Mark 8:27-30

Peter’s Confession of Christ

      27Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” 28They told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.” 29And He continued by questioning them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” 30And He warned them to tell no one about Him.

It is interesting that we see another example where Yeshua instructs someone not tell anyone He is Messiah. This is very different than we expect when we think of pastors and others who want to put titles on themselves and draw attention to increase their status or number of followers. For Yeshua, it was not yet His time. Yeshua was not worried about His personal status, but rather doing the will of the Father.  Later the disciples were instructed to go and tell all the nations about Him.

Many people say many different things about Yeshua. Some claim He was only a good teacher or a prophet.  The question for each of us is “Who do we say that Yeshua is?” It is an important question. How we answer the question should impact how we live. It is not a question of low significance. For those to whom the LORD has revealed it, let us embrace Him as Messiah. He is indeed God Himself, who came as one of us to live among us. He died for our sins so that we could be reconciled to the Father.

If we truly believe this about Yeshua, then our lives should be transformed to seek wholeheartedly after Him and our actions should reflect that belief. We will truly then be a different from the world and be a light to others who do not yet know Him.

Ask yourself, is your life a testimony to Yeshua in this way? If not, reflect on what changes you should make and ask the LORD to help.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me truly embrace Yeshua as Messiah. Help me to be transformed and my life to be a light to draw others to You. Let me not walk as if my life is not affected by this knowledge of Yeshua as Messiah. Let it impact every aspect of my life. Help me to lay down my ways and the ways of men and follow Him. 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, Provider

Find Rest and Peace in God

Like most, I can get nervous or anxious about some things. I naturally live like I need to control or take care of all my needs. God reminds us to find rest and peace in Him. He is also patient with us as we make mistakes and fail to find that peace and rest. He is loving and kind and patient for those who seek Him. He is slow to anger. We see a great example of this in Mark 8, as Jesus addresses the concerns of His disciples over how much food they had brought with them to eat.

Mark 8:14-21

      14And they had forgotten to take bread, and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15And He was giving orders to them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? 18“HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember, 19when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” 20“When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said to Him, “Seven.” 21And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

Be slow to mock the disciples for this kind of mistake. They had just witnessed miracles around food and now they worry about what to eat. How much do we struggle day to day to break away from worldly thinking and truly think in terms of the sovereignty and power of our God, who is in control of all things?

I am grateful that God is so gracious and patient with us and that we can find rest in Him. Praise our loving Father! Thank you!

Take some time to reflect prayerfully on your own life. Are there areas where you are worried and not resting and trusting in God? Ask God to help you release those to Him. It does not mean you do nothing, but it means you trust in Him.

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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.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Provider, Strong in Our Weakness

Focus on What God Can Do Instead of What You Cannot

The beginning of Mark 8 focuses on a miracle we can all too quickly take for granted. Jesus feeds 4,000 people starting with only 7 loaves of bread.

Also, consider what moved Jesus to this miracle. He felt compassion on the people. Why? They had been with Him for days without food. Think about that! That is quite a demonstration of faith on their part.

What did the disciples focus on in this situation? Where Jesus focused on the people and their needs, the disciples focused on their own limitations and not being able to think about how they could meet the need in their own power.

Don’t be too hard on them! How often do we do the same thing in our lives?

Mark 8: 1-10

Four Thousand Fed

      1In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them, 2“I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3“If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance.” 4And His disciples answered Him, “Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?” 5And He was asking them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” 6And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. 7They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. 8And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. 9About four thousand were there; and He sent them away. 10And immediately He entered the boat with His disciples and came to the district of Dalmanutha.

When you see a need or feel called by God to help others or overcome a challenge… don’t focus on what you can or can’t do in your own power, but rather focus on what God can do!

Pray and ask God to show you any areas in your life where you are too focused on what you can’t do to solve a situation and not focused enough on what He can do! Trust in Him to provide. He will make a way.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Compassionate, Demons, Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Miracles

Yeshua Is Moved With Compassion for Those Who Seek Him Faithfully, Humbly, and Persistently

As much as we would like to think that Yahweh looks upon everyone equally, scripture does not always appear to back this up. Yahweh sent Yeshua and most often the prophets to His chosen people, the Hebrew people. It was not until the Hebrew people rejected Him that He turned to the Gentiles, in which case those who accept Him are now grafted into Israel as part of His people (Romans 11). Individuals are grafted in or grafted out with rejection of Messiah, but Israel is not thrown aside as if discarded and Christianity is not a brand new start, or “do over”. The path demonstrated by Yeshua and His disciples built upon the Hebrew roots and added Messiah. We should take note and do the same.

In Mark 7, we even see Yeshua initially refusing to cast out a demon for someone else who was not Jewish. Ultimately, because of her faith and persistence, He had compassion on her and cast the demon out of her daughter. We can learn from this to be sure.

Yeshua was often moved by compassion in the face of faith demonstrated by people who wholeheartedly sought after Him. Even for those whom He had not intended to help, such as those not among the Jewish people, He was still moved when the came seeking Him humbly, faithfully, and persistently. As a side note, this also shows a tangible example where God invites us to come to Him in prayer persistently. We are not rebuked for asking more than once, though we do need to seek the Spirit on how and what we ask for persistently (reference Luke 18:1-8).

The answer could still be “no” in some cases and we may not always understand why (reference Job and Yeshua’s prayer in Gethsemane in Matthew 26:36-46). None the less we are encouraged to persistently bring righteous prayers before our Father and not lose heart.

Mark 7:24-37

The Syrophoenician Woman

      24Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. 25But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. 26Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” 29And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.

      31Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis. 32They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him. 33Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; 34and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” 35And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly. 36And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. 37They were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Do not overlook or cease to be amazed at the miraculous healing power of God. Seek Him persistently and humbly. Trust Him in His answer. Do not lose heart.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for demonstrating Your love and compassion on Your people, and even those who are not Your people, when we desperately and faithfully seek You. Help us to have the courage to persist and not lose heart and help us also to trust in Your answer to our prayer without losing faith if the answer is “no”. 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, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Thankfulness

From Despair to Destiny: A Divine Promise of Restoration

The key theme from Jeremiah chapter 30 is the promise of restoration and hope for the future. In this chapter, Jeremiah, the prophet, delivers a message of comfort to the Israelites during a time of great distress and exile. The chapter is often referred to as the “Book of Consolation” or the “Book of Restoration.”

Jeremiah 30 begins with a message from the Lord to Jeremiah, instructing him to write down all the words that God has spoken. The primary focus of the chapter is on the future restoration of Israel and Judah after a period of suffering, captivity, and judgment. Here are some of the key themes from Jeremiah 30:

  1. Restoration and Healing: God promises to bring back His people from exile and restore them to their land. He will heal their wounds and bring them back to a state of prosperity and peace.
  2. Divine Protection: God assures His people that He will protect them during their time of distress and persecution. He will deliver them from their enemies and establish them as a secure and respected nation.
  3. Jacob’s Trouble: The chapter also mentions a time of great distress and trouble for Jacob (representing the entire Israelite nation). However, even during this difficult period, God promises to save His people.
  4. Return of the King: There is a prophecy of a ruler from the lineage of David who will reign over the restored Israel and lead them in righteousness and justice.
  5. Covenant Relationship: God reaffirms His covenant with His people, emphasizing that He will always be their God, and they will be His people.
  6. Fear of God: The restored nation will serve and fear God with a renewed reverence, turning away from their sins and following His commandments.

Overall, Jeremiah 30 offers a message of hope, restoration, and God’s faithfulness to His people, even in the midst of their trials and hardships. It provides comfort to the Israelites, assuring them that their current suffering is not the end, and God has a plan to bring them back to a place of blessings and prosperity.

As you read it, consider how these same themes still apply to our lives and our relationship with God today.

Jeremiah 30

Deliverance from Captivity Promised

      1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book. 3‘For behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The LORD says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.’”

      4Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah:

      5“For thus says the LORD,
‘I have heard a sound of terror,
Of dread, and there is no peace.

      6‘Ask now, and see
If a male can give birth.
Why do I see every man
With his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth?
And why have all faces turned pale?

      7‘Alas! for that day is great,
There is none like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s distress,
But he will be saved from it.

      8‘It shall come about on that day,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘that I will break his yoke from off their neck and will tear off their bonds; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves. 9‘But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

      10‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant,’ declares the LORD,
‘And do not be dismayed, O Israel;
For behold, I will save you from afar
And your offspring from the land of their captivity.
And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease,
And no one will make him afraid.

      11‘For I am with you,’ declares the LORD, ‘to save you;
For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you,
Only I will not destroy you completely.
But I will chasten you justly
And will by no means leave you unpunished.’

      12“For thus says the LORD,
‘Your wound is incurable
And your injury is serious.

      13‘There is no one to plead your cause;
No healing for your sore,
No recovery for you.

      14‘All your lovers have forgotten you,
They do not seek you;
For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy,
With the punishment of a cruel one,
Because your iniquity is great
And your sins are numerous.

      15‘Why do you cry out over your injury?
Your pain is incurable.
Because your iniquity is great
And your sins are numerous,
I have done these things to you.

      16‘Therefore all who devour you will be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity;
And those who plunder you will be for plunder,
And all who prey upon you I will give for prey.

      17‘For I will restore you to health
And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the LORD,
‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying:
“It is Zion; no one cares for her.”’

Restoration of Jacob

     18“Thus says the LORD,
‘Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob
And have compassion on his dwelling places;
And the city will be rebuilt on its ruin,
And the palace will stand on its rightful place.

      19‘From them will proceed thanksgiving
And the voice of those who celebrate;
And I will multiply them and they will not be diminished;
I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant.

      20‘Their children also will be as formerly,
And their congregation shall be established before Me;
And I will punish all their oppressors.

      21‘Their leader shall be one of them,
And their ruler shall come forth from their midst;
And I will bring him near and he shall approach Me;
For who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?’ declares the LORD.

      22‘You shall be My people,
And I will be your God.’”

      23Behold, the tempest of the LORD!
Wrath has gone forth,
A sweeping tempest;
It will burst on the head of the wicked.

      24The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back
Until He has performed and until He has accomplished
The intent of His heart;
In the latter days you will understand this.

Take a few minutes to thank God in prayer and reflect on how the key themes highlighted before the scripture reading apply to you in your life today.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Faith / Trusting God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms

Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You!

We all experience difficult times in our life. Much of what defines who we are and whom we serve is revealed in these times. David consistently turned to Jehovah even when his situation was desperate. He always made time not just to ask God for help, but also to ask forgiveness, praise and thank God with joyful heart. We should all strive to follow David’s example in his relationship with God.

Psalm 40

God Sustains His Servant.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

     1I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

      2He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

      3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD.

      4How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

      5Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

      6Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.

      7Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

      8I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart.”

      9I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You know.

      10I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

      11You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.

      12For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me.

      13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
Make haste, O LORD, to help me.

      14Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.

      15Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

      16Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The LORD be magnified!”

      17Since I am afflicted and needy,
Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Each of us should take time to prayerfully consider… “Do we take time to joyfully praise and thank God?” This is an important part of our relationship with our Father in heaven. Do not wait until everything is going amazingly well to thank Him… but thank Him even while you are still experiencing difficulty.

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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.

 

All Powerful / King of All, Compassionate, Faith / Trusting God, False Prophets / Teachers, Fear / Reverence for God, Grace / Forgiveness, Hope, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Remain Hopeful in God’s Redemption, Even When Things Are Not as You Want

The key theme of Jeremiah 29 is the message of hope and encouragement for the exiled Israelites living in Babylon. The chapter contains a letter from the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish exiles, urging them to settle down, build homes, plant gardens, and seek the welfare of the city they are in. He advises them not to be discouraged by their current situation but to trust in God’s plans for their future. The famous verse in Jeremiah 29:11 emphasizes God’s promise of a hopeful and prosperous future for them: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” The overall message is to remain faithful, patiently endure the exile, and have confidence in God’s ultimate plan for restoration and blessings.

There is also a warning against those who falsely prophesy in the Lord’s name and convince people to believe in a lie because it is more along the lines of what they want to believe… such as the message that the exile will not be long.

Jeremiah 29

Message to the Exiles

      1Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2(This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the court officials, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.) 3The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying, 4“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 6‘Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. 7‘Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’ 8“For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. 9‘For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,’ declares the LORD.

      10“For thus says the LORD, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14‘I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

      15“Because you have said, ‘The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon’— 16for thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile— 17thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am sending upon them the sword, famine and pestilence, and I will make them like split-open figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness. 18‘I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with pestilence; and I will make them a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and a horror and a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, 19because they have not listened to My words,’ declares the LORD, ‘which I sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets; but you did not listen,’ declares the LORD. 20“You, therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

      21“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you falsely in My name, ‘Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will slay them before your eyes. 22‘Because of them a curse will be used by all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire, 23because they have acted foolishly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken words in My name falsely, which I did not command them; and I am He who knows and am a witness,” declares the LORD.’”

      24To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying, 25“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26“The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the overseer in the house of the LORD over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and in the iron collar, 27now then, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who prophesies to you? 28“For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, ‘The exile will be long; build houses and live in them and plant gardens and eat their produce.’”’”

      29Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet. 30Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying, 31“Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite, “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and he has made you trust in a lie,” 32therefore thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants; he will not have anyone living among this people, and he will not see the good that I am about to do to My people,” declares the LORD, “because he has preached rebellion against the LORD.”’”

We can apply this message to our lives as well. Things will not always go the way we want. We are to remain faithful and patiently endure what God leads us through, and have confidence in God’s ultimate plan for restoration and blessings.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Evidence in Scripture, Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Healer, Merciful, Miracles, Seeking God

Revealing Truth: The Unmistakable Reality of Yeshua’s Miracles and Resurrection

The more I read and study scripture, the more the Holy Spirit reveals to me. In Mark 6:53-55, we could easily spend some time reflecting on the enthusiasm of people seeking Yeshua and how He never turned them away. We could see how they put out a lot of effort to come to Him. They had faith. They were experiencing and witnessing miracles. They pursued Yeshua. They did not sit and wait for Him to come to them. We could reflect on the amazing healing miracles.

But there is another aspect of this scripture I want to focus on today. There is much evidence in the Bible and in other historical documents and archaeological evidence to demonstrate that Jesus was real, was crucified, was buried in a tomb, and then that the tomb was again empty a few days later. We see in scripture the evidence that many, many people saw Him crucified and again saw Him after He rose from the dead and walked among them for 40 days.

Some people, bound and determined to reject Yeshua as God, no matter what evidence God reveals, just make up theories about how to explain the events. In some cases people claim that it was not Yeshua who was crucified, but someone else or it was not Yeshua who was appearing after He rose from the dead, but someone else.

Let us consider what a public figure Yeshua was. He was instantly recognizable to the people. They knew and recognized Him. Thus we also can conclude that it is ridiculous to consider that is was anyone other than Yeshua on the cross or appearing before many witnesses after the crucifixion.

Mark 6:53-55

Healing at Gennesaret

      53When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. 56Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.

The evidence proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Yeshua was Messiah. He died for our sins and rose again. There is no other reasonable explanation. Let us be sure to live our lives in such a way that clearly demonstrates to others that we know this to be true. If we know this to be true we should live as Jesus did and follow Him rather than the world and its corrupt version of “right” and “wrong”. Let us hold fast to God’s word revealed in the Bible and shape our lives according to what it teaches and not according to those who dismiss or outright reject the scriptures as meaningless or not true.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for making a way through Yeshua for my sins to be forgiven. Thank You for mercy and grace. Help me never grow cold of being amazed at the healing power You demonstrate and have demonstrated. Help grow my faith. Help me to recognize You at work in the world around me. 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, Compassionate, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Learning To Pray Effectively, Miracles

Beyond the Miracle: Insights and Compassion in Yeshua’s Walk on Water

When we read about Yeshua walking on water, we often focus entirely on that miracle alone. We may overlook some other insights that are contained in that same story. Some may leave us with some questions and some may reassure us of our Savior’s compassion for us.

Mark 6:45-52

Jesus Walks on the Water

      45Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.

      47When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” 51Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

Yes it was miraculous to walk on water. Don’t miss that. Nothing is beyond our LORD.  There are a few other insights as well.

  • After feeding the 5000 and teaching, Yeshua still wanted to take time to go up the mountain to be alone in prayer with the Father. This was a priority for Him and it should be for us also. Ask yourself if you are setting aside enough time to be alone with Father. Most of us are not. This is different than studying scripture.
  • I find it intriguing that Yeshua saw His disciples straining at the oars, with the wind against them, and intended to pass them up. This does not fit what many of us expect from the LORD. We don’t expect Him to leave us in a difficult situation and let us work out of it. We expect Him to swoop in and rescue us and make things easy. Yeshua knew this was a situation they could overcome on their own, though it was difficult. He was going to let them do so. Recognize that just because you may be in a difficult situation, and the LORD is leaving you to work out of it, does not mean He is unaware of your situation or does not care. He may see value in letting you work out of it on your own.
  • When Yeshua saw they were afraid of Him as if He were a ghost, He adjusted His plans and got in the boat. He had compassion on them.  Compassion is not just pity. Compassion drives us to action. It changes our plans.
  • I think the storm calming as Yeshua gets in the boat speaks largely for itself. He is in control of all things. Nothing is beyond Him.  This aspect is typically not overlooked as it is so attention grabbing.
  • They had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, for their hearts were hardened. The comparison here suggests we should look for parallel between this incident and the loaves. I would say that an obvious connection is for us to have faith that the LORD can provide and can rescue us from difficult situations that are beyond our control. We need not panic or look only to ourselves for the path forward. It is so easy to continue to see things through our own eyes and how we can control or fix a situation, or how we can not. It is beautiful to start to rely more on the LORD and have our faith grow stronger in leaning on Him.
  • Do not overlook that scripture says their hearts were hardened and that is why they did not gain insight from the incident with the loaves and the feeding of the 5000. This does not mean they are rebellious toward Yahweh or against Yeshua. We can see here that even loyal followers of Yeshua can harden their hearts. It speaks to seeing things only through our own perspective of what we can see and touch and do instead of seeing things through the eyes of faith and what God can do. If we harden our hearts, we will miss a lot that the LORD is doing in our lives and we will dismiss it, recognizing only the natural and not the supernatural around us.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your compassion for me. Thank You that You do step in and calm the storms at times when I call on You and I am overwhelmed. Please strengthen my faith and soften my heart towards You. Help me to see the world more through Your eyes. Help me not to focus only on what I can control but also on Your power to deliver us and provide for us. 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, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus (hearing from God), Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Share the Good News

Lessons from Jesus’ Sending of the Twelve: Applying Their Ministry Today

Whether we seek to learn about Yeshua or to take His message to others, we should pay attention to the early ministry of Yeshua and His disciples and apply what we learn to our lives today.

Yeshua sent out His disciples to preach that men should repent from their wrong ways and turn toward God’s ways and toward God, Himself. They cast out demons and anointed the sick with oil, healing them. It sounds very much like a reflection of Jesus’ ministry as He began. (Matthew 4:17; Matthew 4:23)

Mark 6:7-13

The Twelve Sent Out

      7And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; 8and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt— 9but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two tunics.” 10And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. 11“Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” 12They went out and preached that men should repent. 13And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

It is a good thing when your ministry reflects that of the Master. We should pay close attention to His key message, which was repentance. This is a very important message. It is easy for each of us to conclude we are doing things “well enough” or “better than others”. However, that is not the standard to measure against. We are to measure against Yahweh’s holy standard. There is always more we can do, with His help, to identify and repent from sin in our life. It is not a one time decision. It is a decision and action we repeat every day of our lives. Sometimes we mess up and then we ask forgiveness and try again. For those who preach, the lesson is also that one should perhaps begin with the need for repentance as we preach or teach. People must understand their need for Yeshua… to be forgiven through His sacrifice to pay for our sins and mistakes.

I find it also very powerful that the disciples are sent with very little. They are to bring nothing extra. What a powerful statement! When we hear from Yahweh, we are to put our trust completely in Him to provide for our needs. He can and will do it. This does not necessarily mean to discard what He has already provided us, so seek His guidance prayerfully.  Jesus did not command the disciples to get rid of all their belongings or even to give them to the poor. He simply instructed them in regards to their missionary journeys not to take anything extra with them.

When they do enter a house, the intent is to stay there, perhaps to build relationships or perhaps to avoid the distraction of constantly having to worry about where they would stay the next night or week. They were not to move every night to another place.

If a place did not receive them, they are not to stay and force it, but rather shake the dust from their sandals and move on. We must take heed to this important lesson. Too often we may wish to force someone in particular to hear the message of Christ and repent. We can not force them to accept the message. Furthermore, if we continue to put our focus, time, and energy toward only those who reject Yahweh, then we will be delayed in bringing the gospel to others who are open to hearing and receiving the truth of Yeshua. Time is a limited asset and it is constantly passing. We must use it wisely.

The preaching of repentance was accompanied by casting out demons and healing. There are many examples where Yahweh allowed His followers to perform miracles in His name, in particular as they were spreading revelation from Him such as the good news about Yeshua as Messiah. When we go out to bring the good news of Yeshua, we are to accompany that with showing love and compassion to the people we meet. We are to try to help them and meet their needs, to alleviate their suffering. To those whom He calls, they can even do miracles in His name. Whether or not we can do miracles will be up to the LORD and, in part, our faith. With or without miracles, we can certainly have an impact in showing our love for people.

Both as disciples seeking to learn and follow after Christ, and as those seeking to bring the truth of Christ to others, we can learn a lot by prayerfully reflecting on scripture and the truth God reveals to us through it.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please show me clearly where You would like me to share the gospel and how I should approach any mission for which You send me. Let me not proceed on my own understanding but with strong faith and in obedience to Your direction. 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.