Category Archives: Love

Grace / Patience, Heaven and Hell, Kindness / Gentleness, Love

Be Patient With Everyone… Yes, Really

The world teaches us that we have a right to be easily offended by everyone who disagrees with us or acts wrongly toward us. The world teaches us we have a right to confront them and condemn them. The world teaches us to be angry and hostile to those who do not agree with us.

Jesus Christ teaches us a different way… a better way… patience and perseverance… self-control, godliness, kindness and love.

James 1:2-4 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 14We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

2 Peter 1:5-9 5Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

We certainly do not have to agree with or accept persecution from those who disagree with us. However, we can respond truthfully, confidently, boldly, and yet still be kind, patient, loving in our manner. We must look to the example of Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry and do as He did. That is part of why He came… to demonstrate the example of living a righteous and sinless life.

This is an area where many of us do well to pray and ask the Lord for help to overcome our natural defensive impulses and instead see people as God does… with patience and love.

However, similar to Jesus, we must never waiver about the truth. There is clear right and wrong… a clear message of the gospel… a clear warning that most of the world is on the path to Hell. We do not help them by remaining silent or accepting their wrong perception that there are many ways to Heaven or that everyone goes to Heaven or that Heaven and Hell do not exist. We help them by persevering in proclaiming the truth of the gospel through our actions and our words.

John 14:6 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Merciful, Mockers, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

No Greater Act of Love

The dreadful treatment that Jesus received up to and including dying on the cross gives us insight into what we deserve for our wrong behaviors and attitudes. He deserved no such treatment. Jesus lived without sin, in perfect obedience to God. God willingly chose to become man in the person of Jesus Christ and to suffer and die for our sins. There is no greater and more clear act of love than to take our punishment in our place. Picture yourself going through this suffering and death instead of Jesus… what would it be like? Then praise God for showing us love, grace, and mercy in taking our punishment for us.

Matthew 27:27-56

Jesus Is Mocked

      27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. 28They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. 31After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

      32As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.

The Crucifixion

      33And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, 34they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.

      35And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. 36And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. 37And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

      38At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads 40and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42“He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43“HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.

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

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

There are consequences for our sin, for our wrong behaviors and attitudes. The wages of sin are death, but God offers us mercy and grace through Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:23 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God offers mercy in that He will withhold from us the punishment we deserve if we accept the lordship of Jesus Christ. God offers grace in His offer of eternal life and forgiveness, which we do not deserve. God shows us love by paying accepting upon Himself the punishment we deserve. The consequences of sin had to be dealt with. They could not be ignored.  Jesus suffered for us.

We see also the wicked, who mock and scorn Jesus and those who follow Him. They reject and rebel against God. Ultimately, all shall recognize Jesus as Lord, but for those who reject Him throughout their lives on earth, it will be too late to accept His offer of forgiveness when they stand before Him after they die.

Romans 14:11-12

11For it is written,
“AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”

12So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

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.

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Consequences of Sin, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, False Prophets / Teachers, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Obeying God, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

Profiles in Humanity – Jesus’ Trial Before Pilate

No greater demonstration of love has the world ever seen than that of God humbling Himself to become man in the person of Jesus Christ and then voluntarily suffering and dying for our sins on the cross. We walk with Jesus on this journey in Matthew 27:11-26, as we see Him brought before Pilate for judgment. Pilate recognizes His innocence, but executes Him anyway trying not to take any accountability for it. The people are sheep, easily led astray by religious leaders to seek the release of a notorious prisoner and call for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who was innocent. Jesus allows it and does not try to defend Himself despite personal pain and suffering, for He is walking in God’s will.

Jesus before Pilate

      11Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. 13Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

      15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.

      19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. 21But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” 23And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”

      24When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” 25And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” 26Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

We see several profiles that are worth comparing. We can learn from each.

Jesus is the perfect picture of a righteous man, obeying God even when it results in suffering. He sought and now follows God’s will for His life. He endures trials to serve our almighty God.

The chief priests and elders are relentless in their selfish desire to maintain power and execute Jesus out of sheer jealousy and fear of losing their earthly power and prestige. They have witnessed Jesus’ earthly ministry complete with many miracles. They have heard Him teach properly and with authority. Their faith tells them to prepare for such a Messiah as Jesus, but there is never even an indication in scripture that they seek God’s confirmation for whether or not Jesus is Messiah, Son of God. They are more often seen plotting and scheming, trying  to manipulate the people for their personal gain.

The people are weak… sheep… easily manipulated by those they perceive as their leaders. They do not recognize false prophets and teachers. They appear ignorant of scripture and unable or unwilling to test their religious leaders and hold them accountable to the word of God. They seem blindly to rely on what they are told, without testing it against God’s word. The choice between Jesus and Barabbas should be easy and obvious for a righteous people to make, even if they do not know the scriptures. They are easy prey to be led astray and away from the narrow path that leads to God.

Finally, we come to Pilate. Despite his efforts to symbolically “wash his hands” of guilt, he stands as guilty as any. He knowingly crucified an innocent man… knowing whom Jesus claimed to be and with no claim to deny it. Pilate even understood the motivation for why Jesus was accused. Pilate chose based on ease of appeasing the crowds rather than doing what was right. He is accountable. There is no middle ground. We are either with Jesus or we are against Him.

Matthew 12:30 30“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. [also Luke 11:23]

Revelation 3:15-16  15‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

Consider each of these profiles and how they may apply in your life, or the lives of those around you. Prepare now to stand for God even when no one else will. Avoid being easily led astray. Study God’s word daily. Come humbly before Him in prayer daily. Submit your life to Jesus Christ today!

Get started by learning some core teachings:

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Salvation, Study the Word

Jesus Clearly Claims To Be Son Of God… Not Just A Prophet

For all those who claim that Jesus never said He was the Son of God… they stand in error. Billions of people around the world are misled by this deception and the Bible could not be clearer. Jesus could not have spoken more clearly than He did in Matthew 26:57-68. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God… thus He is not just a good teacher or prophet, but the Messiah.

Jesus before Caiaphas

      57Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. 58But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.

      59Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. 60They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, 61and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’” 62The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”

      65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”

      67Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, 68and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”

The chief priests took quite some time going through witnesses to obtain false testimony about Jesus. Many false witnesses came, yet they did not find what they wanted as an excuse to kill Him. So, by contrast, we see that they clearly understood that Jesus claimed to be Son of God, which is to say God. For when they heard this, they stopped bringing witnesses and declared Jesus’ death sentence. They were being thorough and considered Jesus’ claim to be very clear.

Then they beat Him and spat on Him. Jesus experienced much physical and emotional pain up to death and the cross on our behalf. Jesus suffered this pain and humiliation for our sins… our mistakes.

Make no mistake… since Jesus clearly claimed to be Son of God. There are only three choices for us to rationally consider. Jesus is either God, as He says, or He is a liar or a madman. He cannot be a prophet or good teacher.

Billions are wrong about Jesus… Jewish people and Muslims along with others, deny that Jesus was God. They deny the very God who came to die for them and take their burden of sin for them. Many who identify as Christian dismiss what Jesus did too lightly as well. They continue in their sin, insisting on doing things their way instead of God’s way. There is only one way to God.

[John 14:6]  6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

God humbled Himself to become man in the person of Jesus Christ. He did so to provide a path to forgiveness for all we have done wrong in our lives… all the wrong we have done against living according to His standard as revealed in the Biblical text. The Bible is incredibly relevant. It is the greatest story ever told!

Please do not “read the Bible it in a year”…  but rather study it for a lifetime and apply God’s word to your life. We invite you to study the Bible with us daily through our devotions via email, Facebook, Google Plus, or on our website Latest Devotions page. You can also look around our website (HearingFromJesus.org) for many more resources and tools to help you.

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as God, as the one who personally came to take the punishment for your mistakes, I urge you to do so today. Do not delay. None of us knows how much time we have before we die and then it is too late to submit to Him and accept Him as Lord. Tell your family and friends about Him!

Learn more about accepting Jesus as leader of your life through The Message of the Cross.

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Consequences of Sin, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love, Obeying God, Salvation

Jesus Gave Himself Willingly

2 Comments

Jesus demonstrates His great love for us in Matthew 26:47-56, in that He volunteered to suffer and die for our past mistakes so we could return to relationship with God. How many people can you imagine trusting God this much, volunteering for what was to happen… to save others? Most of us would be saying “I did not do anything wrong, so do not punish me.”

What great love God has for us! Jesus willingly suffered and died for our sins, so our past (and future) mistakes could be forgiven.

Jesus’ Betrayal and Arrest

      47While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.” 49Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.

      51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. 53“Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54“How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

      55At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. 56“But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

Surely each of us can think of things we wish we would not have done in our past. Jesus died so we could be forgiven of these things and be reconciled with God. Jesus could clearly have defended Himself with even a thought… calling upon a host of angels to protect Him. He did not. He actually directed the one who did defend Him with a sword to put it away. From Luke 22 we see even more amazing grace from our Lord, Jesus. Jesus healed the injured man… one of those who had come to take Him into custody!

 50And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.

Jesus shows amazing love and grace for His people. To accept His offer of forgiveness, we must admit we have done wrong and turn away from our wrong behaviors and attitudes… those motivated by our personal selfish desires. We must turn toward Jesus, asking Him to forgive our past mistakes. We submit our lives to Jesus as our leader, our Lord, and we begin to live according to His example… in obedience to God.  Then we can be restored to close relationship with God and truly find joy in this world and the world to come!

If you have not made this personal decision to make Jesus the leader of your life, I urge you to do so today. Do not delay. (Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.) This most important decision is the beginning of a journey that lasts your entire lifetime… transforming you to be more like Jesus and less like your old self.

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Love

Love Jesus Through Acts of Service

2 Comments

Jesus has just reminded His disciples in Matthew 26:1-2 that He is to be handed over to crucifixion during Passover in two days. In  Matthew 26:6-13, the disciples appear indignant about the use of expensive perfume to honor Jesus. They have not yet full understood all that is happening and is about to happen. Jesus remains patient with them, taking each opportunity as a teachable moment. Through His love and grace, these teachable moments are also shared with us through the written record of God’s word… the Bible.

The Precious Ointment

      6Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, 7a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. 8But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? 9“For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. 11“For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. 12“For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. 13“Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

What a great reminder to take care and perhaps some restraint in criticizing others in how they give or serve to honor Jesus. Rather than complain about how they are doing it… just support them in honoring God and serving Him. Yes we can provide wise counsel to each others as brothers and sisters in Christ, but we should take care to do so with understanding, patience and respect rather than indignation and harsh criticism.

I truly appreciate the gift this woman gave to Jesus and am glad to be one of many through the last few thousand years to highlight her service to Jesus while He was near the end of His earthly ministry. What a wonderful opportunity to show love for Him!

While we do not share the opportunity to directly honor Jesus in this way in His earthly ministry, we do have the opportunity to show similar love and care for His people who are in need. We can encourage one another in His name and work together to meet the needs of many around the world or in our own home town or village.

I encourage each of us to take away a challenge to help someone this week in an effort to honor God. Show them love and kindness and tell them it is because of Jesus Christ who loved us first, when we were yet sinners and shows us how to love one another.

Take some time and share with one another what you have done for someone else or what they have done for you. By sharing these simple acts of love that honor God we can encourage one another and give each other ideas. Share them on our website Submit Testimonies page and review submissions from others on our Acts of Service page.

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Love, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Salvation

Yes, Jesus Loves Us That Much!

After Jesus finishes His  prophetic response to Peter, James, John and Andrew regarding when the temple in Jerusalem will be destroyed and the signs of Jesus’ return and the end of the age, He again returns to the topic of His impending death. As we studied previously in our teaching, Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection – He Went Willingly, Jesus has made  a point to clearly communicate multiple times to His disciples that He is to die and be resurrected. As the day approaches, He even tells them what day it will occur, during Passover.

Matthew 26:1-13

The Plot to Kill Jesus

      1When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, 2“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”

      3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; 4and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. 5But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.”

Jesus clearly went willingly to His torture and death. God loves us all so much that He became man in the person of Jesus Christ and willingly suffered and died and was resurrected for us…for our sins… all of us. He extends the offer to us, having already paid the price for our sin and wrong choices. All we need to do is accept His offer. (To learn more, study our teaching, The Message of the Cross – Salvation.)

He loved His disciples enough to continually remind them in advance of what was going to happen so they would understand later and recognize the proper perspective that Jesus did so willingly in obedience to God’s plan. He confirmed multiple times what was to happen and then even when it was to happen. God truly loves us that much. The Bible records this history so that even today, thousands of years later, we can be clear that Jesus willingly laid down His life for our sins. He was not tricked or defeated… He volunteered to take our punishment. We deserved to be on the cross, but He went on our behalf.

If someone died saving you from being killed in a tragic accident, such as being run over by a truck… you would tell everyone about it with thanksgiving and praise for that person. You would probably remember and retell it your entire life.

If someone offered us $100 and all we had to do was accept it… and then told us they would offer the same deal to everyone, not matter what they have done wrong in their lives… no matter who they are…  we would take it, thank them, and tell everyone else we knew about this great opportunity.

Why is it that when we hear of this offer for forgiveness of all our past mistakes and reconciliation with God for eternity, we so often keep it to ourselves?

We would tell everyone about the $100 without worrying if we were insulting them by implying they need the money. If we do not feel the same way about telling them what Jesus offers we must consider deeply whether or not we, ourselves, really believe it is true and whether or not we love others enough to help them find Jesus.  Some will reject the message just as some would not believe you about the $100 offer… but some will believe and will come to Jesus.

Rejoice in being a worker in God’s harvest! Do not be “embarrassed” by your love for Jesus but rather be glad in it and share it with everyone!

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Character of God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Love

God Will Not Force Himself On Anyone

14 Comments

After passionately teaching against the hypocrisy and wickedness of the religious leaders, who lead so many of God’s people away from the kingdom of God, Jesus pauses to express His sadness at the path of rejecting God that Jerusalem has chosen.

Matthew 23:37-39

    37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38“Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39“For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’”

God has great love for His people and a desire to gather them together in His care. However, He will not force Himself on anyone. He grants each of us free will and the ability to accept and submit to God, or to reject Him and live according to our own path. The path of submission to God is filled with joy even in suffering and leads to eternity with God in Heaven. The path of our own desires, of our internal sin nature, the deceptions of Satan… that appears fun and exciting on the surface but can never fill the emptiness inside of each of us that results from being separated from God. This path leads to destruction and eternal separation from God in Hell.

Many will choose the wide path that leads to destruction, and only a few will choose the truly righteous path for it is narrow… but it leads to eternal life with God.

Which path will you choose?

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Bitterness / Resentment, Children, Consequences of Sin, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Evidence in Scripture, Family, Love

Doing It Our Way Instead of God’s Way… What A Mess!

Genesis 30:1-24 continues to show us the depth of consequences for doing things our way instead of God’s way. Jacob, who intentionally tricked and deceived his father Isaac, was later intentionally tricked and deceived by his uncle Laban and now finds himself married to two women, one of which he does not love. God has granted Leah several sons because she was unloved by her husband and given Rachel none.

30 When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

2 Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked. “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!”

3 Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me,[a] and through her I can have a family, too.” 4 So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. 5 Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son. 6 Rachel named him Dan,[b] for she said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son.” 7 Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel named him Naphtali,[c] for she said, “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!”

9 Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn’t getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Soon Zilpah presented him with a son. 11 Leah named him Gad,[d] for she said, “How fortunate I am!” 12 Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son. 13 And Leah named him Asher,[e] for she said, “What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me.”

14 One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 But Leah angrily replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son’s mandrakes, too?”

Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.”

16 So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must come and sleep with me tonight!” she said. “I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found.” So that night he slept with Leah. 17 And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. 18 She named him Issachar,[f] for she said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife.” 19 Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. 20 She named him Zebulun,[g] for she said, “God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons.” 21 Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. 24 And she named him Joseph,[h] for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.”

The first observation I will make is this… what a mess! Surely the scriptures must be true. If someone were willing to change them they would have started by removing the family failures like this one which reflects poorly on Isaac and Jacob. It reflects poorly on Isaac because he raised Jacob and Esau in a family environment where each parent clearly had their favorite child and was content to let the other be loved less or not at all. Thus that sin and failure became part of Jacob’s “inheritance” and he continued it into his family by failing to love his wife, Leah. He clearly embraced Rachel as his favorite.

How could doing things God’s way have helped avert this situation?

  • God intended marriage to be between one man and one woman, not a man and several women. Man can not properly demonstrate love to more than one woman and perhaps even if he could, even the appearance of favorites leads to jealousy, bitterness and division.
  • Jacob having married Leah, should have loved her. Love is not just an emotion, it is conscious act of will as outlined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
  • Jacob surely must have known or had the opportunity to know  the bitterness between Rachel and Leah, yet he did nothing as the leader of his household to resolve it. He was not dwelling with understanding with his wives as called for in 1 Peter 3:7.  (7You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. )
  • When Jacob was confronted directly by Rachel, he still did not turn to God in prayer or insert himself more deeply into the situation between Rachel and Leah. He basically dismissed Rachel in anger as shown in verse 2. (2 Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked. “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!”) What would have happened if Jacob would have listened to Rachel, repented and asked God for help, changing his own behaviors to do things God’s way?
  • There were still yet other opportunities to avert total family meltdown… either Rachel or Leah could have returned good for evil and just smothered the other in kindness and grace as called for in 1 Peter 3:9. (8To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.) Though this verse is intended in context for husband and wife, a similar approach helps between any two people.

Instead of doing things God’s way, they continued to fight and scheme, trying to “win” by doing things their own way. This is clearly a failure of Jacob as leader of the family and we will see this failure continue on into how his sons treat Joseph, who becomes his favorite.

Both Rachel and Leah propose… and Jacob agrees… that Jacob sleep with their maids. The sinful failures of the father continue to the next generation. Abraham and Sarah already went down this road earlier in Genesis and it did not end well. They chose to “help” God provide a son for Abraham through Sarah’s maid. If they made any attempt to share this mistake and its implications with their children, it is not evident. Isaac witnessed the failure through tension within the family regarding Ishmael. Jacob knew of Ishmael… in fact his brother, Esau, went to visit Ishmael at one point. None the less, Jacob and his wives fail and have children through their maid servants… once again doing things their way instead of God’s way.

There are no number of sons that can be had to end this bitterness as having children is not the root of the issue. The root is Jacob’s failure to love Leah and Rachel both. It is their failure to live God’s way.

We clearly see demonstrated that there are natural consequences for our sin and failures when we do things our own way, even if we have God’s blessing as Jacob had.

Each of us should seek to know God’s ways and follow them. When we are faced with trials, we should seek answers in His word and in prayer. Do things God’s way, not our own.

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2

Am I too late?, Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Hope, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Love, Merciful, Parables, Repenting from Sin, Selfishness

The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like a Vineyard

Jesus teaches us about the kingdom of heaven by comparing it to a vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16. Once again He clearly shows the contrast between the kingdom of heaven and the ways of man with a stark contrast that at first read appears “unfair”, but in reality demonstrates the mercy, grace, and love we all want to receive.

20 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage[a] and sent them out to work.

3 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.

6 “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’

7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’

“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’

8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’

13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’

16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

People often misunderstand this parable when they view it through the eyes of men rather than the eyes of God. As is true of all parables, Jesus is using an illustration people should be able to understand to explain a greater concept about the kingdom of heave.  Jesus’ point is not about the sum of money that people receive for working in a vineyard. Rather, Jesus is speaking about the offer God has extended to each of us through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He offers salvation to all of us, no matter if we find Him early in the day (e.g. early in our lives) or late in the day, just before work is completed (e.g. on our deathbed).

None of the workers “deserve” or are “owed” the right to work in the vineyard and receive payment. All of them are invited at the discretion of the vineyard owner, who represents God. We can all receive salvation and forgiveness from sins no matter how close to death we are. What a wonderful God we serve that he receives us even if we come to Him late in our lives. We may have hope of eternal life with Him and hope for others we know that it is never too late for them, until the very moment of death and judgment. God shows mercy, grace, and love to all of us by extending the offer to serve Him through submission to Jesus Christ.

For those who submit to God, we will be like the angels in heaven, rejoicing when a single soul repents and asks Jesus to be Lord of their life, submitting fully to God and proclaiming Him publically. For those who see life only through the eyes of their own selfishness, they will continue to wrestle with and complain about this parable… claiming that it is not fair that they worked longer for Jesus and do not appear to get a higher reward. Truth be told, these people are often far from the kingdom of God. We are not saved by works and when we love and submit to Jesus as our Lord, we do not consider it a burden we resent carrying but rather rejoice that we may serve Him. If we serve Him longer it is all the better to further the kingdom! If others join us late, it too is cause for celebration!

Jesus later gives us a very tangible illustration of the meaning behind this parable as He hangs upon the cross.  He clearly shows us that we are saved not by works, but rather by grace through faith. Praise God! None of us is good enough to meet God’s standard by works. Only Jesus met the standard. And He carried our sin to the cross on our behalf. Even the criminal who was deserving of death was able to be saved in the closing hours of his life when he could do no works, join no church, and take no action to repent other than with his heart and his words.

Luke 23:39-43

39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

God gives us all the opportunity to be saved, but not by our own works. We can have hope in knowing it is never too late for us or for those we love. But with this hope comes great opportunity. Each of us should consider:

  • Have I accepted Jesus’ offer to work in His vineyard… to submit to Him and serve Him in the work He wants done? (Am I saved?)
  • Am I working hard in the vineyard to do the Lord’s work or am I content to just do the bare minimum to get paid at the end of the day (e.g. make it into heaven)?  (Am I fully submitted to Jesus and His work or only committed to the point that it is convenient and comfortable for me?)
  • Am I studying and learning God’s word, seeking Him prayerfully to develop a more intimate relationship with Him? or am I content to be baby in the faith, requiring constant care and feeding (e.g. spiritually). Such as these are not able to disciple others and may fade even themselves over time. They are easily misled by false prophets.
  • Is my goal to convert others to Christianity (e.g. bare minimum for them to be saved)? or is my goal to make disciples of others such that they can share God’s word and bring the good news effectively to others?
  • What changes should I make today to fully submit my life to Jesus?

—-

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.

the way with scripture - for posts, medium 2