Category Archives: Obeying God

Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Curse, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

A Message from the LORD Regarding the Rebellion of His People

This message from the LORD through Isaiah may as well be delivered again today. It fits just about completely with where our society is going in our nation and around the world. Even those who claim the LORD, have turned away. Do not think that this does not anger Him. He may be patient, but He also experiences righteous anger. As you read through chapter 1 of Isaiah, consider its application not just in Isaiah’s time, but also in ours.

The message can be viewed in three pieces:

  • God’s people rebel.
  • God has had enough.
  • Sins can be forgiven for those who choose obedience. Those who forsake the LORD will come to an end.

Isaiah 1

Rebellion of God’s People

      1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

      2Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth;
For the LORD speaks,
“Sons I have reared and brought up,
But they have revolted against Me.

      3“An ox knows its owner,
And a donkey its master’s manger,
But Israel does not know,
My people do not understand.”

      4Alas, sinful nation,
People weighed down with iniquity,
Offspring of evildoers,
Sons who act corruptly!
They have abandoned the LORD,
They have despised the Holy One of Israel,
They have turned away from Him.

      5Where will you be stricken again,
As you continue in your rebellion?
The whole head is sick
And the whole heart is faint.

      6From the sole of the foot even to the head
There is nothing sound in it,
Only bruises, welts and raw wounds,
Not pressed out or bandaged,
Nor softened with oil.

      7Your land is desolate,
Your cities are burned with fire,
Your fields—strangers are devouring them in your presence;
It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers.

      8The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard,
Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.

      9Unless the LORD of hosts
Had left us a few survivors,
We would be like Sodom,
We would be like Gomorrah.

God Has Had Enough

10Hear the word of the LORD,
You rulers of Sodom;
Give ear to the instruction of our God,
You people of Gomorrah.

      11“What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?”
Says the LORD.
“I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle;
And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.

      12“When you come to appear before Me,
Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?

      13“Bring your worthless offerings no longer,
Incense is an abomination to Me.
New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.

      14“I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts,
They have become a burden to Me;
I am weary of bearing them.

      15“So when you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Yes, even though you multiply prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are covered with blood.

      16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight.
Cease to do evil,

      17Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
Plead for the widow.

“Let Us Reason”

18“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.

      19“If you consent and obey,
You will eat the best of the land;

      20“But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be devoured by the sword.”
Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Zion Corrupted, to Be Redeemed

21How the faithful city has become a harlot,
She who was full of justice!
Righteousness once lodged in her,
But now murderers.

      22Your silver has become dross,
Your drink diluted with water.

      23Your rulers are rebels
And companions of thieves;
Everyone loves a bribe
And chases after rewards.
They do not defend the orphan,
Nor does the widow’s plea come before them.

      24Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts,
The Mighty One of Israel, declares,
“Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries
And avenge Myself on My foes.

      25“I will also turn My hand against you,
And will smelt away your dross as with lye
And will remove all your alloy.

      26“Then I will restore your judges as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
After that you will be called the city of righteousness,
A faithful city.”

      27Zion will be redeemed with justice
And her repentant ones with righteousness.

      28But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together,
And those who forsake the LORD will come to an end.

      29Surely you will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired,
And you will be embarrassed at the gardens which you have chosen.

      30For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away
Or as a garden that has no water.

      31The strong man will become tinder,
His work also a spark.
Thus they shall both burn together
And there will be none to quench them.

Do not miss the core message, which again is summarized in three pieces. Take note that the people did not consciously say, “Let’s rebel against God.” Rather how they lived their lives was in rebellion whether or not they realized it.

  • God’s people rebel.
  • God has had enough.
  • Sins can be forgiven for those who choose obedience. Those who forsake the LORD will come to an end.

However, there is more treasure to be found here in this passage. Re read it and this time focus on the specific behaviors that God speaks out against, like taking bribes, not defending orphans and widows, failure to seek justice or reprove the ruthless. Note that God is not satisfied with us just avoiding doing bad things. There are good things that he expects us to do as well.  In fact, He calls out widows and orphans twice in the scripture.

Do not think of God as a marshmallow God who is happy just to have your attention now and then. He is the Creator of the universe. He is all powerful and all knowing. He has given us instructions for how to live and He wants His people to live by them and not to simply blend in with or be slightly better than the evil nations or people around them.

I invite you to take some time to prayerfully reflect on this message before the LORD. Ask the Spirit to show you areas in your life and in your heart where you should make some changes. Are there things you are doing that you should not? Are there things you are not doing, like helping widows and orphans, that you should? Ask the LORD to help you live in a way that is more and more focused on Him and is pleasing to Him.  Try to take at least 5-10 minutes.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. 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, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Hearing from God, Obeying God

If You Hear My Voice, Do Not Harden Your Hearts

I encourage you to read all of Hebrews chapter 3. I focused on the excerpt from Hebrews 3:7-14.

That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years.

So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”

Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.

You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.

For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.

I invite you to join me in prayer:

Father, I pray you would guide me daily and keep me from hardening my heart toward you. Help me also to encourage others to keep their hearts and their ears open to you. I pray this in the name of Yeshua. Amen.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. 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.

 

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Love, Loving / Kind, Obeying God

Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law

Many Christians understand the foundational principle that we are to love one another. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. But what does that mean? Does that mean that we think cheerful and nice thoughts about one another and then just do whatever we please? May it never be!

God tells us how to love one another. It is not that loving one another replaces the law and commands of God. The opposite is true. He showed us how to love one another through obedience to His law and commands.

Romans 13:8-14

  8Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9For this, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

      11Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

We do not show love to people by simply ignoring them and letting everyone do their own thing. If someone wants to play in the street or stay inside a burning building, are we showing them love by telling them those are good choices? Not at all! We show love by telling them those are dangerous choices. Speak in love and gentleness, but firmly in truth to tell others about how God tells us to live.

The law shows us how to love one another and how to love God. We are to take heed to God’s commands and apply them. It is fairly obvious that we are not showing love to others by committing adultery, murdering, stealing, or coveting. However, it is equally true that we are not showing love to others if we tell them “We choose not to do those things, but it is ok if they choose to do them”. It is not showing love to others if we ignore or reject God’s commands and God’s law.

Let us lay aside deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light… and encourage others to do so as well. Avoid carousing and drunkenness. Avoid sexual promiscuity (sex outside marriage). Avoid strife and jealousy. Let us not make any acceptance for the flesh in its desire to pursue its lusts. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus and live according to His word and example.

One parting thought… to follow Jesus’ example is to follow the law, rejecting wrong behavior in ourselves, and also to rebuke wrong behavior in others… because we love them. We can also be deliberate and compassionate in how we address others who may be struggling or lost. We can avoid being arrogant, mean, or too harsh lest they be put off and not receive the message.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank you for showing us how to love one another and how to love You through obedience to Your word in the Bible. Please help us as Your people to show love Your way and not accept the way the world tells us to love one another. The world wants us to accept everyone’s sin and reject Your ways. Open the eyes of the spiritually blind. Help us to have opportunity to share Your love with others and prepare them to receive the truth of Your word. Help us also to love one another as fellow disciples of Yeshua, even where we experience some friction or differences in understanding Your word. 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.

Compassionate, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Holy, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Obeying God, Salvation, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Doors of the Bible

Today I want to share an interesting perspective I gained from the Ark Encounter in Kentucky. I am sharing their material, which can be found at arkencounter.com/about/good-news/. I am grateful for the ministry and outreach efforts of that organization. I would encourage you to consider it for future family vacation plans. My family greatly enjoyed it and it supports a ministry that shares the truth of God’s word in a powerful way.

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Why Did God Send the Flood?

The pre-Flood world was exceedingly wicked and filled with violence. The Bible states that all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth. God sent the global Flood to judge the evil world while preserving Noah’s family and representatives of land animals.

The Ark’s Door

One of God’s specific instructions for Noah was to build a door in the side of the Ark. Noah and his family entered this door to be saved from the Flood. Everyone outside of the Ark perished.

What’s Wrong with This World?

God created a perfect world, but our first parents, Adam and Eve, chose to rebel against their holy Creator. Their sin brought suffering and death into creation, and since all people are descendants of Adam, all have inherited a sin nature set against God. Furthermore, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We live in a fallen, sin-cursed world where men love darkness rather than light.

Will God Judge the World Again?

The Bible states that God will judge this wicked world once again, but this time it will be by fire. In fact, Jesus compared the days of His return to the days of Noah. People were caught unaware by the judgment because they were so focused on the things of this world, such as eating, drinking, and marriage. Similarly, Peter prophesied that skeptics would come in the last days and would mock the biblical teachings of creation, the Flood, and the coming judgment. We see these things happening in our day, and God always keeps His promises—judgment will come.

Another Door

Noah’s family entered the Ark’s door to escape the physical destruction of the Flood. God has provided another “door” to save people from the coming eternal judgment. Jesus Christ said, “I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7). In that culture the shepherd really was the door to the pen—they would rest in the entryway, ensuring that the sheep would be kept safe. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the door through which we must enter to be saved from our sin.

The Substitute

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became a man, lived a sinless life, and then willingly died on the Cross as a substitute. As man’s sin brought death, the Son of God died to redeem man from his sins. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, showing that He held power over death and demonstrating God’s acceptance of Christ’s payment for sin.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Who Needs to Be Saved?

The short answer is “everyone.” Since God is holy and perfect in every way, He must judge sin. As such, each of us deserves to face God’s justice because we have broken His laws. If you stop and examine your own heart, you will recognize times where you have lied, stolen, coveted, and failed to honor God as He deserves. On our own each of us stands condemned to suffer eternally because of our rebellion, and we need someone to save us from God’s wrath.

How Can I Go Through This Door?

We cannot earn God’s forgiveness as manmade religions teach—it is offered freely through the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We receive God’s forgiveness only through faith in what Christ has done. This means that we repent of our sins, trusting in Jesus and believing that He died for our sins and rose from the dead. In faith, we acknowledge our guilt before God and plead with our Creator to forgive us and save us from our sins.

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

Have You Entered the Door?

Have you placed your faith in Christ alone to save you from your sins? If not, we urge you to turn from your sins (repent) and call out to God for His merciful forgiveness. Enter the door of salvation today.

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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.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

Should Saying “No” to Sin Be Easy for a Disciple of Yeshua?

For those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord, turned from our sinful and worldly path and endeavor wholeheartedly to disciple our lives after Christ, saying no to sin easy… right? Of course not! We are constantly battling between our old sin nature, the flesh, and our desire to follow after Christ.

Romans 7:14-25

The Conflict of Two Natures

      14For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

      21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

We can clearly see that man is not inherently good, but actually evil and selfish. Even as we desire to turn from sin and turn toward God’s way, we still have a battle upon our hands. The evil within us draws us toward sin.  Do not be discouraged if you are struggling with sin. The desire to sin does not just go away after we decide to disciple after Christ. It remains. We must pray and seek after the kingdom of God. Through Christ we can be set free from sin. Overcoming sin may not be quick and the potential for sin never fully goes away. However, we can be set free from sin and our lives transformed through Christ and with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to overcome my sin nature within me. Help me to live in a way that is pleasing to You. Let me not live according to what my flesh desires, but rather according to my spirit. 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.

Discipline / Correction, Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Jesus (hearing from God), Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Share the Good News, Study the Word, Teachable

The Great Commission – Personal Discipleship Plan

This teaching is really a core part of our personal walk with Yeshua. Please take the time to read through it prayerfully, even though it may be a bit longer than average.

At Hearing From Jesus, we take the commands of our Lord very seriously and that certainly includes The Great Commission. In fact, it is this command that most directly inspires our ministry. We want to obey Yeshua and make disciples of all the nations.

Besides being the command of our Lord, it is also a natural desire we have in gratitude to Yahweh for His grace and forgiveness and also out of love for other people, who may be headed for eternal separation from Him in hell, unless they hear and study the true word of God.

Matthew 28:16-20

16But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

To learn more about the Great Commission given to us by Yeshua, we recommend you study our teaching, The Great Commission – Make Disciples Of All The Nations, before continuing with this teaching on building a personal discipleship plan.

Whether Hearing From Jesus is a primary source for your personal study and growth with the Lord or just another valuable reference site, we have structured our ministry to help you become a disciple, a learner, of Christ and then to prepare to go and make disciples of others. This last point is important… it should not be our goal to do the absolute minimum we can and still get into Heaven. Those who have this attitude are far from the kingdom of Heaven. Our goal is to grow spiritually to the point that we are feeding ourselves from Yahweh’s word and growing in our relationship with Him from now until we die. It is a journey that we never finish, but it transforms us along the way to become more like our Messiah and less like our old sinful nature. We are to learn well enough to then teach others effectively and help them become disciples as well… so they can , in turn, teach others.

Overwhelming? It can be. So, how do we begin such a task?

Let us begin by studying and then following the example of Yeshua. Likewise, we can review how others, like Paul or Moses or Elijah practiced discipleship. In all the examples I just mentioned, these servants of Yahweh knew the ultimate authority was the Creator, not a religious authority figure or scholars or traditions. We must seek to develop a personal relationship with Yahweh. We must not cling to traditions of men, even if they are taught by religious authority figures. The Pope, like the earthly head of every religion, is quite fallible and what he teaches must be tested against the word of Yah in the Bible. Sadly it often contradicts God’s word. We must test everything against the truth of the scripture and seek Yahweh in prayer consistently. To be a disciple of Christ we must be willing to put Him first, above and before all other parts of our lives and it will be hard. We must lose our own lives in order to find true life with Jesus.

Matthew 10:34-39

34“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35“For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

37“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39“He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

Yeshua did not attend formal schooling or study at seminary. These things may be helpful, but are not necessary and for most of us, not practical. Yeshua studied the scriptures rigorously and with devotion since He was as child. So knowledgeable was He, that when He was twelve, He was amazing the scholars and teachers of the law.

Luke 2:46-47

46Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.

If you are coming to know Yeshua later in life, do not worry. Use the time our Father has given you and get started studying (not just reading) the Bible consistently today. He will reveal much to a devoted disciple through His word. Yeshua’s disciples certainly did not start studying scripture as children but God used them in a mighty way!

Yeshua had a powerful prayer life. Communicating with the Father to receive instruction through prayer is essential to live as an effective disciple. Yeshua did not pray when convenient… when He had time. Yeshua stayed up late and got up early. Consistent prayer is essential to staying submitted to the Father’s will rather than our own. To study more about Yeshua’s prayer life, I recommend reading Experiencing Prayer with Jesus, by Henry and Norman Blackaby.

When it was time for His public ministry to begin, Yeshua found a small set of disciples, or followers. He had an inner circle in which He invested much time (Peter, James, John) and He had a wider group, but still small, that included all twelve disciples. He invested much time in the twelve, but not as much as He invested in the closer circle of three. Yeshua also taught the masses who sought to hear God’s word. He never turned away those who were genuinely seeking the word of God.

We must recognize that Yeshua forced no one to be a disciple or to listen to His message. Instead He choose people as disciples who came enthusiastically and willingly. They were eager to learn and they were not rebelling against Yah, insisting on clutching onto their traditions or their personal lives before meeting Yeshua. They were willing to put Yeshua as a priority above all other things. They left much behind of what they knew to follow Him. Others whom he invited, such as the rich young ruler introduced in Matthew 19:16, could not put him first and thus chose not to follow him.

Yeshua made time for people and demonstrated compassion, but also remained focused on going about doing God’s work. He dealt with mockers appropriately so as not to let them distract Him from getting to those who wanted to hear. Yeshua would reply to those trying to trick Him, but only to provide a teachable moment and an opportunity for them to hear truth and repent, and then He would move on.

In three years He created a team of disciples who could go out and teach others. This is what disciple means… Yeshua does not call us to just remain a “baby” in the faith, needing constant care and feeding. Rather He calls us to be disciples who can learn and teach others to learn. Those others then teach more and there is a multiplying effect that has dramatically impacted the world over the last two thousand years… starting from the humble beginnings of a poor carpenter who taught truth and stood up against the established teachers and scholars of the time and against centuries of traditions of men which were put above the commands of God.

We will briefly comment regarding Moses, Elijah, and Paul but of course you can study and learn more about them by reading the scriptures.

Moses trained judges to be prepared to help meet the needs of the people in order to properly lead such a large number of people. [Exodus 18:17-26]

Elijah invested time to disciple Elisha, who became his successor. [1Kings 19:19-21]

Paul managed his disciples over a wider geography, across many different cities and regions. He taught to crowds, big and small, on his missionary journeys. However, he clearly had a close circle of disciples with whom he traveled and invested significant time and a wider circle of individuals whom he discipled through occasional visits and more frequently through correspondence (e.g. letters).

So… what do we learn from Yeshua and some significant servants of Yahweh? What is a practical way to begin?

We must all begin with study of the scripture and prayer. We must develop a strong personal relationship with the Father. Do not get in a hurry to be the teacher. Yeshua did not start discipling others immediately, he studied from time of child and started with disciples at 30 years old. His disciples spent three years under His instruction and care before going out to disciple others on their own. They maintained a support structure often going out in pairs and coming back to consult with one another.

Most of us need to identify resources and techniques for studying scripture, and possibly find a teacher or disciple who is further on the journey than we are to help lead the way and answer questions. We must learn to feed ourselves with Yah’s help, still listening to the wise, but testing all they teach against scripture.

When you are ready, start seeking those you can invest time and relationship in to come together to study Yah’s word with commitment and devotion. Seek your disciples, without giving up or forsaking your relationship with your teacher or with the Father. Keep feeding yourself and continue on the journey to know, love, and serve Yahweh or you will not be effective in leading others. Even if you do not feel comfortable guiding a Bible study on your own, set up a Bible study anyway. You can use material from our ministry or from other teachers who have already prepared and shared the message of God’s word. Just remember to test everything against the whole of scripture using your own discernment and prayer… as even good teachers have some doctrine incorrect… and some of it quite significant.

After a time, do not rush it, and staying connected to the disciples you study with… each of you perhaps in pairs can also set up separate small groups to disciple others. Invest in more than just Bible study, but in life activities and support one another. Do not tolerate among your disciples those who would tempt you to sloth or to disregard and rebel against God’s word by rationalizing sin or worldly culture as acceptable. Do not tolerate among your close disciples those that refuse to submit to Yahweh and repent of their sin, clinging to their sin nature and refusing to change behaviors to honor God. Follow Jesus’ instructions found in Matthew 18:15-17.

15“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16“But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17“If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Listen, also, to your fellow disciples when they point out to you your sin… for the wise listen to good advice with thanksgiving and become wiser. A fool despises correction.

Stay focused. Consider writing down a plan for your personal discipleship both as a learner and as a teacher. Review periodically, perhaps a few times a year, to evaluate your progress and commitment to this mission. Pray for our Father’s help frequently… “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Please reach out to us with questions through our Contact Us page. Our intent is to teach you and support you in becoming a disciple, not just to give you a word from the scriptures daily… though that is a great start.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead me in Your word with wisdom and courage. Help me to develop the passion to pursue the truth and depth of Your word. Give me a humble heart so that I may learn from others, even as I become more mature spiritually. Help also prepare me to lead others and to go forth and make disciples. To You be all the glory and honor. Amen. 

Shalom

Teaching 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?, Baptism, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus (hearing from God), Obeying God, Share the Good News, Submitted / Servant

The Great Commission – Make Disciples Of All The Nations

This is an important core teaching, so please take some extra time to read through it as it is a bit longer than perhaps an average post. It is worth it. Pray for the LORD to speak to you and guide you as you reflect on the message.

Yahweh came down to live among us in the person of Yeshua (Hebrew name of Jesus). Both fully man and fully God, He demonstrated a perfect sinless life of devotion and submission to the Father. He set a perfect example for us to learn from and replicate. Then Yeshua fulfilled the purpose for which He came through His suffering, death, and resurrection… providing a path for those of us who accept Him as Lord to be reconciled with our Father regarding the punishment of our sins.

After His resurrection, Yeshua gave a clear command to His disciples regarding what He wanted them to do. We should study this command and obey it as well. It not only applies to the disciples who walked with Yeshua during His earthly ministry, but to all who truly submit to Yeshua as Messiah and therefore commit to do His work and obey His will and honor His kingdom. The command may not be easy to follow, but neither was dying on the cross easy. Yeshua’s command should be very important to each of us that declare Him “Lord”.

Matthew 28:16-20

16But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Those of us who serve Christ have our marching orders, a mission if you will. Yeshua did not say… “Live comfortably and according to your own desires. When you feel like it and when it is convenient and easy, please consider telling others about me.” Not at all. Quite the opposite. Jesus commands us to go and make disciples of all the world! Do not think that this was easy for the disciples either, but rather it was a challenging task. Let’s examine the command a little more closely as we begin.

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

This statement clearly confirms to us that Yeshua has the full authority to speak for God. Yeshua’s tone is different now from earlier in His earthly ministry when He consistently said He could do only His Father’s will. He absolutely has authority over us and to refuse to obey His command is to rebel. You either obey or rebel. There is no “comfortable” middle ground where we sort of obey, but not fully.

But what is He asking us to do when He says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.”

“Go”

“Go” certainly seems clear. It is an action very different from “wait”. We should take action to fulfill the request, not wait for people to come to us and ask about Yeshua.

“therefore”

“Therefore” refers to the sentence preceding… because Yeshua has all authority, He has authority over us and He is commanding us to perform this mission. We either obey or rebel. There is no comfortable and convenient middle ground.

“…and make disciples…”

To make “disciples” is to make “learners”, people who can learn about Yahweh and then, once ready, teach others. We are not commanded to make “converts”, who accept Yeshua, but then require constant care and feeding (spiritually) from a pastor or other members of the body of Christ. We are to first lead them to conversion and then prepare the new followers of Christ to be able to “feed” themselves, growing in their relationship with the Lord for the rest of their lives. This obviously implies that we, too, must learn first how to feed ourselves and become mature disciples of Yeshua, seeking and submitting to the Father and obeying His word while constantly learning to know Him more intimately.

“…of all the nations…”

Of whom are we to make disciples? Just those like us? Just those nearby or just those far away? No. We are to make disciples of “all the nations”. To accomplish this we will clearly have to work together as the body of Christ, united in one mission… one purpose… each using the gifts and abilities Yahweh has given us to fulfill this great commission. Everyone must participate; no one can sit on the sidelines just watching and letting others complete the mission. Notice He does not command us to make disciples of all the people… as many will reject Him and we can not force someone to accept Yeshua. But we are to bring the message around the world so all can hear the good news of the gospel.

“…baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…”

Baptism is important because it represents a public proclamation of submission to our Creator. Yeshua commands us to publicly acknowledge Him before others. There is no such thing as a private or secret faith. Such faith is not faith at all. Many ask if the name of Yahweh matters… YES, the name matters. God revealed through Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is very different than other false gods and false representations of God. God revealed through Father, Son, ands Holy Spirit is, by definition, different than even the incorrect Jewish belief that worships the God of the Old Testament (which is correct), but rejects Yeshua as God (incorrect). All religions are not equal. Only one is correct. This is not opinion. They contradict one another. Those who accept Yeshua will have eternal life with Yahweh, those who follow other gods will be separated from Him for eternity in hell… as a result of their own choice to reject Him. If this is a hard teaching and you want to reject it, your argument is not with me, but with our Father, Himself.

“…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…”

How can we teach others if we do not first learn ourselves? We must study and seek Yahweh consistently and for a lifetime. Do not only read the Bible in a year. Read it over and over for a lifetime. Focus on understanding and applying rather than just reading a target number of pages in an arbitrary timeline such as a year. Reading scripture was not helpful to the Pharisees and religious leaders as they were not truly applying it correctly. They read it, and memorized it, but did not fully understand and apply it correctly. Truly there was more rejoicing in heaven for the sinners who repented and sought forgiveness in Yeshua, despite not knowing the scriptures well, than for all the “learned” and “well read” scholars that refused to submit to Yahweh. That said, when we submit to Yeshua, we must take on the serious work of reading scripture and understanding it and applying it in our lives.

Note also that Yeshua commands us to obey and teach others to obey “all that I commanded you”. All means all. Those truly submitted to Christ do not get to pick and choose which of His teachings they want to follow and which they reject because they do not like them or understand them or because they are unpopular. Righteousness is unpopular. So is holiness. So was Yeshua. Seek to please the Father rather than men. Obey and teach all that Yeshua commanded.

Just for clarity, this includes observing the laws given by Yahweh through Moses in the Torah, or first 5 books of the Bible, to the extent they have not been fulfilled by Yeshua. (We should be careful in studying what has been fulfilled and what has not. Yeshua clearly states he did not come to abolish the law.)

Matthew 5:17-19

17“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The earthly ministry of Yeshua did not change right and wrong so as to lead us away from following Yahweh’s law or “set us free” from Yahweh’s law. Rather Yeshua constantly lived the example of honoring the law including things like honoring Sabbath and celebrating Passover, which have been incorrectly tossed aside by mainstream Christianity today. For more on this subject, read our teaching on Understanding The Law – What Does It Mean For Us Today?

“… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

It is amazing and at times overwhelming how much significance is contained inside this command from Yeshua, commonly called the Great Commission. To obey such a command may seem a daunting or intimidating task. So, too, it must have seemed to the disciples when Yeshua first commanded them. That is why He finishes by assuring them that He will be with them throughout this mission and beyond.

We now have the benefit of seeing the successes and failures of God’s people in living out the Great Commission 2000 years later. While individuals and groups of people often fail, God has none the less used many courageous servants to spread the good news of the gospel across the world. (For more on the gospel, read our teaching The Message Of The Cross – Salvation.)

But there is much more work to be done. The mission is not complete. Now it is our turn!

How do we begin such a task? Study and follow the example of Jesus Christ. Likewise, we can study how others, like Paul or Moses or Elijah practiced discipleship to share God’s word. We explore this in more detail in our teaching, The Great Commission – Personal Discipleship Plan.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father help draw me near to You and open my eyes to Your wonderful ways. Let me not live for men or for myself, but rather for You. Help show me how to live out the great commission consistent with Your calling for me. Amen. 

Shalom

Teaching 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.

Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Sin

Under the Law or Under Grace, God’s Standard for What Is Right and Wrong Is the Same

I hear Christians often declare that we do not need to follow the law of God anymore, because “we are covered by grace through Jesus Christ”. It is true we are covered by grace through Christ, but that is not an invitation to disregard His life example and His teaching and just keep sinning or living in a way that is inconsistent with the law which He followed.  If we do this, how can we claim to be His disciples?

Truly for those who prayerfully reflect this becomes clear. Imagine a father who loves and forgives his children. Does this mean that the children are right to ignore whatever rules or instructions he provides that they do not like? Of course not. Will not the father measure out consequences for the children to address their unrepentant rebellion by refusing to obey instructions?  Further, some instructions are there for the children’s benefit. If the children refuse to obey, will they not suffer the natural consequences of their decision? If a child disobeys his father and plays in the busy street, will he not risk getting run over by a car and hurt?

We are not under the judgment of the law, which is that punishment for sin is death. Instead, we are under grace through faith in Yeshua. We can be reconciled to the Father and forgiven of our sin. We need not be slaves to sin as we can now be set free from bondage to sin. But none of this means we should disregard the teaching of the law of God as our guide to how we are to live.

Would it surprise you that Paul even specifically addressed this in scripture… and clearly? He did.

Romans 6

Believers Are Dead to Sin, Alive to God

      1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7for he who has died is freed from sin.

      8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

      12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

      15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

      20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We need not remain slaves to sin when we submit to Jesus Christ as Lord. We are set free from sin and are called now to righteousness… living according to Yahweh’s word and Yeshua’s example.

You serve whom you obey. Ask yourself, and measure the answer by evaluating your actions rather than your intentions …“Do I obey sin or righteousness?” Pray for Yahweh to help you turn from sin completely… to be set free from it… and instead follow Jesus Christ in the ways of righteousness according to Yahweh’s instructions.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for setting us free from bondage to sin. Help Your people to have discernment to live out their lives according to Your instruction in the scriptures and according to the example of Yeshua, who was judged perfect by the standard of Your law for us. Let us not use grace as an excuse to sin or redefine how we are to live. Open our eyes to the wonderful ways of Your law. Let the Spirit guide us consistent with Your word. 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.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Sin, Study the Word

Sin Exists Without the Law, But It Is Harder to Identify

Many Christians today are taught incorrectly that God’s commands are a burden and we have been “set free” of the law by the death of Christ. This concept is definitively false. Jesus Christ was the living embodiment of the word of God. He is the word come to life to dwell among us.

John 1:14-15

      14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”

How can it make sense that the word became flesh to free us from the word? Jesus lived according to all of God’s commandments and instructions and we, as His disciples, should do likewise. He clearly taught that the law, instructions of God, were not to be done away with because of Him.

Matthew 5:17-19

   17“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The law is very important. It sets a framework that helps identify what sin is so that we can turn from it and follow God more effectively. Sin existed before God brought the law through Moses and the law did not eliminate sin. The law allows us to better distinguish man’s ways from God’s ways. The law reveals to us sin so that we can turn away from it.

Romans 5:12-14

      12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Paul makes an important point in these verses. Being without the law does not change what is and is not sin. It simply is not called out clearly as sin because there is no law to point to what is right or wrong. Similarly, if we as Christians say the law is no longer valid, we do not change the nature of sin but rather only conceal and make less clear what is sin and what is righteousness.

Some will claim the law is invalid and has changed because it is now written on our hearts. That does not really make sense. If I have a law in a ledger written down and I commit it to memorization or write it down in a computer document, have I changed the law? No. I just rewrote the same requirements somewhere else. The written law is still quite relevant and helpful. Paul speaks further about what this means in Romans 2.

 12For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

The emphasis in bold above is mine. Note the focus from Paul’s perspective. To have the law written on your heart means you do what the law says even without having a written copy of the law taught to you. It does not mean you change the law and act differently.

I grew up in a church that taught the false doctrine that the law of God was just for the past before the death of Jesus. It was not until much later that I came to better understand the will of our heavenly Father. I have found much joy in studying, understanding, and following what He calls us to do. It is not easy, in particular because so many Christians have a false understanding that the law is no longer relevant. What is really intriguing, is that much of what Christians believe is from the law, but they say the law is obsolete. However, obeying the full instructions of God provides a wonderful structure to guide us through life the way He intends.

It is important to actually read the Bible personally and not just read books written by others, though that can be a helpful supplement. Challenge yourself to apply God’s instruction in your own life and share it with others.

Read more: Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean Today? 

I invite you to take a few minutes right now. Prayerfully ask God to reveal to you the truth of His word and study daily.

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?, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Righteous

Shall We Sin to Demonstrate the Grace of God?

All of us are guilty of failing to meet Yahweh’s righteous standard in our behavior and our thoughts. There is not even one person who is sinless among us. Only Yeshua lived a perfect and sinless life.

Knowing that we are saved by grace, through faith and not by our own perfect obedience to the law of God some argue that we should freely sin and do whatever we want in order to highlight and even demonstrate the grace of Yahweh in forgiving us. Others suggest that we can just do anything because God will forgive us or has already forgiven us. This idea is tempting because it invites us to behave and think any way we want to and deceives us that we are still saved by our relationship with Yeshua.

Here is the essential deception… if we truly believe Christ is Messiah and submit to Him, we follow His example. We live as He did. Yeshua demonstrated perfect obedience to the Father in the law. He was sinless. Never did Yeshua sin intentionally or accept sin in others as tolerable because they could be forgiven. The message is always “repent of your wrong ways and turn toward God’s ways asking forgiveness”.

So, how then can we claim to have a saving faith in Messiah, but intentionally and willfully do the opposite of what He taught? We cannot. Our obedience is the evidence of our faith. We will not have perfect obedience, but we should never be willfully tolerating sin and accepting or normalizing it.

Romans 3:1-20

All the World Guilty

      1Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

4May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,
“THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS,
AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.”

5But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.

      9What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;

10as it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

      11THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

      12ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

      13“THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”
“THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;

      14“WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;

      15“THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,

      16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,

      17AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”

      18“THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

      19Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

The law of God opens our eyes to what is right and what is sin. Those who wholeheartedly submit to the Yahweh through Yeshua will not willfully disobey His instructions and example.

Prayerfully consider in your life what sins you are tolerating and normalizing for yourself or others around you. Pray for Yahweh’s help to change your heart and repent. Do not accept a sin just because someone you love will not give it up. You can love the person and reject the sinful behavior. In fact, that is a good way to lead someone you are close to away from that sinful behavior and toward righteousness.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead Your people to reject sin and embrace Your law and the example set by Yeshua in how we should live and interact with You and one another. Please raise up righteous leaders like Paul to help guide Your people across the world. Thank You for Your grace and forgiveness. Let us not take advantage of that to live apart from You in willful disobedience. Amen. 

 

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.