Category Archives: Faith / Trusting God

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

He is Risen!

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

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

Mark 16:1-13

The Resurrection

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

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

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

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

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

I invite you to pray with me:

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

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Faithful, Learning To Pray Effectively, Obeying God, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness, Submitted / Servant

Do Not Overlook Your Relationship with God in Preparing for Battle

It is good that we prepare for the challenges we expect to face, and also for some surprises we may not anticipate. That said, ultimately our faith and relationship in Yahweh (through Yeshua) is what will be the deciding factor in many situations. We may feel like we face mountains that we can not overcome. However, with Yahweh, all things are possible.  As we read today’s scripture we will see an example of the importance of a righteous and obedient walk with the LORD as part of preparation for calling upon Him in our need. Of course we should not do it just to get his protection… that is selfish. We obey His law and live His way out of love for Him for what He has already done for us (e.g. creation, life, salvation, blessings, etc.)

2 Chronicles 12

Abijah Succeeds Rehoboam

      1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3Abijah began the battle with an army of valiant warriors, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with 800,000 chosen men who were valiant warriors.

Civil War

      4Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5“Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? 6“Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master, 7and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.

      8“So now you intend to resist the kingdom of the LORD through the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you. 9“Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are no gods. 10“But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites attend to their work. 11“Every morning and evening they burn to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him. 12“Now behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

      13But Jeroboam had set an ambush to come from the rear, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them. 14When Judah turned around, behold, they were attacked both front and rear; so they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, then it was that God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16When the sons of Israel fled before Judah, God gave them into their hand. 17Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. 18Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah conquered because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their fathers. 19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages.

Death of Jeroboam

      20Jeroboam did not again recover strength in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him and he died.

      21But Abijah became powerful; and took fourteen wives to himself, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo.

Do not wait until you are desperately needing Him to turn toward Him and build relationship with Him. Do that now and do not stop. Then when you are in difficult situations, you can lean on Him and cry out for His help. Of course, even if you are already in a bad spot, you can still repent and turn toward Him and cry out to Him for mercy and help.

What are some situations you have faced in your life that were very hard? Did you cry out to Yahweh? Did you recognize His answer? Ask Him prayerfully to show you anything in your relationship with Him that you need to change.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to seek Your face now, even before I face adversity or difficult challenges. Help Your people around the world to live righteously and bring honor and glory to Your name. Thank You for Your help when we face trials from the enemy and from those who are against You. Amen. 

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Devotions by John, Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Government, Obeying God, Persecution / Glorifying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant

Will You Live Fully for Yahweh? Or Will You Compromise When Threatened?

There are times when the decisions of those governing our nations have significant impact on our personal lives and may truly test our devotion and commitment to our LORD. It is not hard to see this playing out in our world today. Whether it is related to COVID or the government response to it which threatens personal freedom in many cases across the globe or whether it is persecution in Muslim countries like Iran and Afghanistan or atheistic countries like China, choosing to live boldly a life publicly committed to Christ can cause many to make difficult choices affecting their lives dramatically.

This is not a new situation. We can see an example of this in 2 Chronicles following the split of the kingdom after the death of Solomon. The Levites in Israel were removed by Jeroboam from their God given duties and he appointed his own priests and places of worship. The Levites had to make a choice about whether they would remain in such a situation or not. They would have to decide whether to leave their pasture lands and property behind in pursuit of living for Yahweh or whether they would make excuses to remain in the ungodly situation they found themselves in.

2 Chronicles 11:14-17

Jeroboam Appoints False Priests

      14For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD. 15He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made. 16Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. 17They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

This is not theoretical for people all around the globe today. It is real. Will I choose to live for Yahweh? Will I choose to proclaim Yeshua as the way? or will I go silent? Will I let government and employers determine how I will live because of the persecution that will follow… losing a job or losing one’s life?

I am fortunately not in a situation where my life or that of my family is at stake. I am, however, potentially impacted by government and employer mandates that may conflict with my faith. Most of us have to make a decision about how openly we share our faith in our workplace and what the implications may be. I am trying to prepare myself ahead of time for such a time as I see others experiencing today. I ask God’s help and I decide up front what I will or will not do. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD, even if there are significant ramifications.

I encourage each of you to seek God on this before you find yourself in such a situation. Be prepared. Take steps to get out of debt and live less paycheck to paycheck so you are not so dependent on employers or government. Can you stock up food? Can you save 6 months spending in the bank to give you cushion if you lose your job? Can you start gardening some of your own food? Can you build up your skills to be able to generate income on your own? There are many such steps as these to consider and consider them prayerfully.

I invite you to pray for me:

Father, please help me to prepare for difficult times that may come. Help me to be courageous to live for You and You alone. Let me not be coerced to live differently for fear of losing my job or my life. Help Your people everywhere with this type of situation. Raise up the righteous and be their shield. Strike down the plans of the wicked. 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.

Blessed, Compassionate, Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Help / Serve Others, Interceding for Others, Obeying God, Submitted / Servant

Allow Yourself to Challenge Your Understanding of Scripture

On the surface, today’s scripture documents an amazing set of miracles. But there is much more going on here as well. I am sure I will not unpack it all in this post, but hopefully stimulate some curiosity for for each of us to study more. I have a few questions to ask after you read the scripture.

2 Kings 4:8-37

The Shunammite Woman

      8Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat food. 9She said to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God passing by us continually. 10“Please, let us make a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there.”

      11One day he came there and turned in to the upper chamber and rested. 12Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” And when he had called her, she stood before him. 13He said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care; what can I do for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the army?’” And she answered, “I live among my own people.” 14So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Truly she has no son and her husband is old.” 15He said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16Then he said, “At this season next year you will embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant.”

      17The woman conceived and bore a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had said to her.

The Shunammite’s Son

      18When the child was grown, the day came that he went out to his father to the reapers. 19He said to his father, “My head, my head.” And he said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then died. 21She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door behind him and went out. 22Then she called to her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and return.” 23He said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath.” And she said, “It will be well.” 24Then she saddled a donkey and said to her servant, “Drive and go forward; do not slow down the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25So she went and came to the man of God to Mount Carmel.
When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Behold, there is the Shunammite. 26“Please run now to meet her and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’” And she answered, “It is well.” 27When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away; but the man of God said, “Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her; and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.” 28Then she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”

      29Then he said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go your way; if you meet any man, do not salute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him; and lay my staff on the lad’s face.” 30The mother of the lad said, “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” And he arose and followed her. 31Then Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, “The lad has not awakened.”

      32When Elisha came into the house, behold the lad was dead and laid on his bed. 33So he entered and shut the door behind them both and prayed to the LORD. 34And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm. 35Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and stretched himself on him; and the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes. 36He called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Take up your son.” 37Then she went in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and she took up her son and went out.

Is it wrong that Elisha blessed this family in part because they blessed him first? I think sometimes people get the impression that Yahweh is not supposed to have “favorites” and is supposed to treat everyone the same. Where does the Bible say that? In fact, this family saw an opportunity to minister to a man of God and asked nothing in return. Why should they not be greatly blessed in return?

I include one example from Psalm 119 which speaks to who will be blessed (and by difference, who will not).

1How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
Who walk in the law of the LORD.

      2How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,
Who seek Him with all their heart.

      3They also do no unrighteousness;
They walk in His ways.

There are many more, such as Luke 11:28.

 28But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

Another question 2 Kings 4 raises for me is in regards to how the power of the prophets works. I have at times thought that they were only a conduit between man and God, but this scripture is one example of many where we see the prophet seemingly act on his own. He decides to bless the woman with a child and heal the child. There is no reference to consulting with God. Yet at the same time, he does not have absolute and full understanding of all things. He says that God has not revealed to Him why the woman was coming to him. Also, the servant with the staff at Elisha’s command to heal the boy did not work. Does that make him a false prophet? I don’t think so. This was not prophecy spoken on behalf of the LORD. This was his attempt to cure someone.

I hope we allow ourselves to ask questions and not have to immediately convince ourselves of the answers. Go to the LORD in prayer. Study the word, including commentaries, for additional insight. Allow yourself to ask questions and challenge things in scripture, even if you can’t immediately explain them a different way.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have a spirit of humility and a desire to adapt my understanding of scripture as You open up the scriptures more to me to apply in my life. Help me not be prideful and stubborn, refusing to learn or change what I have been taught if it was wrong. Help me test everything against Your scriptures, and accept that I will not understand everything and some things may make me uncomfortable… but that does not mean they are incorrect. Your holy word is correct and true. My understanding and that taught by men, often is not true. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Courage / Fear, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Prophecy, Share the Good News

A Different Perspective on Peter’s Denials

Most of us are familiar with the story. Yeshua prophecies to Peter that he will deny Him three times before the rooster crows twice. Peter is adamant that he will not. The situation unfolds, and sure enough, Peter denies Yeshua three times as prophesied. Peter is crushed at having failed his master.

Let’s give a little grace to Peter before we judge him too harshly. Surely we have all had tough times where we may not have denied Yeshua, but perhaps we did not stand up for Him either? Maybe We just remained silent as others disparaged Him. Keep in mind that one way to avoid denying Yeshua is for no one to know you are a follower. Peter was recognized because he stood by the Lord through good times and bad. He was often witnessed in the act alongside Yeshua.

Further, Peter was the only one to follow as the Romans took away Yeshua into custody. Peter would not have even been in position to deny Him if he had not followed behind out of love and devotion, something no one else did. Following took courage.

Mark 14:53-54

  53They led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together. 54Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire.

Mark 14:66-72

Peter’s Denials

      66As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came, 67and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.” 68But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” And he went out onto the porch. 69The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, “This is one of them!” 70But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too.” 71But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!” 72Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he began to weep.

Let’s give Peter the credit that is due. He was openly and publicly a follower of Yeshua. Many witnesses could recognize him. Peter did not run and hide like the others, but followed Yeshua out of love  and devotion even when things were really getting tough. Yes, that put him in position to fail by rejecting his Lord when he became frightened after being identified. Yes he made a mistake. But also consider how he responds to it. That was the last time he denied Yeshua. He repented, turning away from that behavior. He continued and faced hardship and persecution to spread the truth of the gospel relating Yeshua as Messiah.

Perhaps this brings to mind a few questions we may each benefit from asking ourselves.

Are you prepared to stand up for Jesus Christ in the face of persecution or intimidation by those who oppose Him?

Would anyone even know you are a follower of Christ such that you might be confronted about it?

If you are not sure or answer “no” to the first question, pray for Yahweh to help you be bold and courageous. The Holy Spirit which resides in believers can certainly prepare you.

If you are not sure about the second question or answer “no”… then you should pray for the Father’s help to make you live more boldly as a believer and disciple of Jesus Christ. That your actions, attitudes, and words would proclaim the glory of God.  A true disciple of Jesus does not hide their faith but rather lives as a light to guide others to truth.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to be bold for You. Help me to have courage to stand with You and for You. When people come against me because of You, help me to remain faithful and courageous. Please forgive me when I make mistakes and avoid standing for You just to avoid persecution. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Peace / Rest, Prayer

How Can I Remain Calm and Focused In Adversity?

It is too easy to speed read the familiar story in scripture about our Lord, Yeshua, being taken into custody in Gethsemane. Take time and dwell on it. Study and reflect on His attitude and actions and demeanor. He remains calm throughout as He is betrayed and taken into custody to be executed. He continues to speak truth with authority. He does not panic or resist, because He already knows the Father has ordained this series of events and Yeshua is fully committed to obey the Father, despite any negative impact on Himself. By contrast, His followers mostly panic and eventually all flee.

Mark 14:43-51

Betrayal and Arrest

      43Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.” 45After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 46They laid hands on Him and seized Him. 47But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber? 49“Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.” 50And they all left Him and fled.

      51A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. 52But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.

How is it that Yeshua remained so calm and confident? He had just finished spending time before the Father in prayer (Mark 14:32-42) immediately before being confronted and seized by the Romans. Yeshua found peace, calm and confidence in aligning with the Father. We should learn and apply in our lives to do the same.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to draw near to You in prayer and experience peace and calm even during storms in my life. Please help me to lean on and rely on You, even when I may not understand fully. Please help me to be stronger in my faith and to clearly understand Your will for 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.

Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Help / Serve Others, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Obeying God

To Whom Should We Turn in Grief?

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We all experience pain and grief. Where do we turn in these times? Who may let us down and who will never let us down? Looking to Yeshua, we see that when he was “grieved to the point of death” He turned in prayer to the Father and He asked for support from His closest friends. His friends wanted to help Him. They tried to support Him, but though “the spirit is willing”, “the flesh is weak”.  The Father, however, is always available and wanting to listen to our prayers.

Mark 14:32-42

Jesus in Gethsemane

      32They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.” 33And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. 34And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” 35And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. 36And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” 37And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38“Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. 41And He came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42“Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

Yeshua knew He was going to be taken into custody, beaten, and crucified. He knew why and when. He knew what it would feel like. He even knew that His friends would fall away and deny Him and He would be alone. No wonder He was grieved to the point of death. He was honest enough in His relationship with the Father to come before Him and ask for the suffering to be removed, but faithful and obedient enough to trust the Father to decide and to obey.

Let us seek to follow Yeshua’s example as we experience difficulty. It is hard to imagine what we could face that could be worse than what He faced on our behalf. Pray for help from the Father. Share openly and honestly with Him your feelings and emotions. Pray for His will to be done and then accept it.

Sometimes we find ourselves in the position of supporting someone who is going through difficulty, as the disciples found themselves in as Yeshua prayed. Truly pray for the Father to help. Sometimes we need His help even to just be the support that our friends and family need. Yes, our flesh is weak. Pray for strength and endurance.

As a final thought, some say it is wrong to pray “if it be Your will…” when bringing our supplications and requests before the Father. They say it is double minded and lacking faith, that instead we should essentially demand our way and expect it when coming before the LORD. We can see from today’s scripture that this logic is flat out wrong. Yeshua prayed for the father’s will over His own. It was not weak in faith or double minded. It was being submitted to the Father.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me be submitted to You fully, even when Your plans are not my plans. Please help me comfort those who are in need and guide them to You. Please help me to turn to You when I am in difficulty and trust You completely. 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, Generous, Giving, Help / Serve Others, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus (hearing from God), Money / Finances / Wealth, Offering Sacrifices

How We Give Is a Reflection of What We Value

Yahweh does not need our money. It is not because He needs to buy something that He calls us to give. He calls us to give, and give generously, to challenge us to pursue Him wholeheartedly. How we give is a reflection of what we value. We are to seek first the kingdom of God, rather than pursue money as priority.

Mark 12:41-44

The Widow’s Mite

      41And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. 43Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

Yeshua did not measure the gift by the absolute value of the coins. Instead, He valued it by the sacrifice and therefore the reflection of the heart and its priority seeking God over self.

If you have much, ask yourself if you are giving only from surplus or truly honoring God with what you have. You do not need to go give away everything you have… if you do that how can you continue to help others as you find them in need. However, challenge yourself to test your heart and your attitude as you choose to give to help others in a way that honors God.

If you have little, remember that God appreciates and deeply values when you give from your poverty to help others or serve Him. There is no such thing as “too little a gift to make a difference”. God knows all and appreciates the gift and your sacrifice.

One last thought, do not assume you must give your whole donation to the local church. Sometimes we have the opportunity to help others directly or there may be other charitable efforts that you can support to honor the work and name of the LORD.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have a generous heart to give to honor and glorify Your name. Help me to put You first, above my own desire for money. Help me to have discernment in how to use the money I have to honor You and show my love for You. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Parables, Selfishness, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil

How Shall We Treat God and His Messengers?

Yahweh has created a wonderful world for us to enjoy. He has created each of us as unique and wonderfully made. He gives us each gifts and abilities to use for His glory. He blesses us with life and many more things to help us prosper.  How shall we treat Him and His messengers in return?

Mark 12:1-12

Parable of the Vine-growers

      1And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT, AND DUG A VAT UNDER THE WINE PRESS AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 2“At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3“They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4“Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5“And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6“He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7“But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8“They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9“What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others.

10“Have you not even read this Scripture:
‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone;

      11THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,
AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?”

      12And they were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so they left Him and went away.

Take a moment to reflect on how selfish and wicked the vine-growers are… they represent the vast majority of people that God has created. They reject God, His messengers, even His son. They live for themselves. The justify and rationalize their actions as if to avoid recognizing any wrongdoing.

Now reflect on the vineyard owner. How shall he react? God has given much patience and grace already. Many prophets and even His son have come in His name. For those who have welcomed them, they will be received into the kingdom of God. For the many, however, who have rejected and killed and mocked the messengers and son of God, they will face a righteous judgment. They will suffer because of their own choices.

Each of us gets to choose how we treat God and His messengers when He reaches out to us. It is more than just words. We show we accept God through consistent actions and attitudes… through how we choose to live our lives. Will we live selfishly after our own desires and claim with our lips to honor God or will we honor God with our very lives, choosing His ways above our own.

Choose wisely.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to treat You and Your messengers with respect and thankfulness. Let me not live selfishly according to my own desires, but live in submission to You as LORD. Help me to do so joyfully and thankfully! Thank You for my family, my job, my home, and so much more. Thank You for fellow believers, followers of Christ. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Am I on the path?, Am I too late?, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Mockers, Salvation

Views of the Cross

I want to share a good resource available to you at AnswersInGenesis.org. I visited their Ark Encounter in Kentucky and my family truly enjoyed it. Far too many present the historical event of the great flood and the ark as if it is a fairy tale. They present a Biblical view of the historical account and provide much more engaging material as well to help provide answers for how science and history line up with, not against, the Biblical word of God. I encourage all to make the trip if they can. They have another sister exhibit about 45 minutes away near Cincinnati as well, The Creation Museum. We enjoyed both and found both educational and stimulating.

The following is material from Views of the Cross tract from Answers in Genesis. You can order printouts from them online at the link I provided above.

Views Of The Cross (views-cross-tract PDF)

Examine Your Heart

Take a sincere look at your own life. Are you like the thief on the cross who mocked Jesus and remained obstinate, refusing to trust in Jesus Christ? Perhaps you are like the soldiers at the foot of the Cross gambling for Christ’s clothes. They were too distracted by worldly desires to realize they were part of the most important event in history.

Have you been too preoccupied by the busyness and cares of this world to consider your eternal destiny? If you are like any of these individuals, don’t wait until it is too late. Be like the repentant thief who confessed his sin to Jesus, asking for mercy. Turn from your sinful ways and call out to God, asking for His forgiveness. He is ready and willing to graciously forgive all who come to Him.

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

For more information, visit arkencounter.com/gospel.

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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.