Category Archives: Obeying God

Blessed, Curse, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Obeying God

Obedience or Disobedience (to God), Which Will You Choose?

God is pleased when we obey Him. He is not pleased when He repeatedly sends messengers that are ignored or rejected. He wants us as His people to obey His instructions and draw near to Him.

There are consequences both for obedience and for disobedience. Which will you choose?

Jeremiah 35

The Rechabites’ Obedience

      1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2“Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.” 3Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites, 4and I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the doorkeeper. 5Then I set before the men of the house of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine and cups; and I said to them, “Drink wine!” 6But they said, “We will not drink wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall not drink wine, you or your sons, forever. 7‘You shall not build a house, and you shall not sow seed and you shall not plant a vineyard or own one; but in tents you shall dwell all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.’ 8“We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, not to drink wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons or our daughters, 9nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; and we do not have vineyard or field or seed. 10“We have only dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and have done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11“But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come and let us go to Jerusalem before the army of the Chaldeans and before the army of the Arameans.’ So we have dwelt in Jerusalem.”

Judah Rebuked

      12Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 13“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction by listening to My words?” declares the LORD. 14“The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are observed. So they do not drink wine to this day, for they have obeyed their father’s command. But I have spoken to you again and again; yet you have not listened to Me. 15“Also I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending them again and again, saying: ‘Turn now every man from his evil way and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to worship them. Then you will dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your forefathers; but you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me. 16‘Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have observed the command of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to Me.’”’ 17“Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them; because I spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.’”

      18Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father, kept all his commands and done according to all that he commanded you; 19therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me always.”’”

We each have a choice to make about how completely we will submit to and pursue God and live according to His ways. Often we may not realize it, but there is farther He wants us to go in obeying Him. Keep a humble heart and a willing mind and a teachable spirit. Study His word and apply it in your life. Ask God to show you where there is more for you to do in pursuing Him.

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

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

Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Even in Hard Times, Obey the Lord’s Instructions

Zedekiah was at war. Babylon was pressing against him. He was going to lose. This was a high-pressure situation. At this time, God was also calling on Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem to turn back to His ways, to obey His instructions. The specific example used here was in regard to the treatment of Hebrew servants. The people obeyed at first but then turned back to their old ways. God was not pleased and there were consequences.

As we reflect on this passage of scripture, let’s seek to apply the lessons to our own lives. Just because you are going through a difficult time does not mean it is ok to turn away from God’s ways. In my life, I have experienced times when I was struggling with a key issue or issues. I was not fully at peace or finding rest in the LORD. I allowed myself to drift in my discipline to bring the family together daily for prayer and devotionals. It was not lack of faith. It was not lack of desire. It was almost a weariness from struggling with the challenges I was facing.

Regardless of the reason, hard times and challenges are not a good excuse for allowing ourselves to fall away from what the LORD is calling us to do, whether it is personal and specific to us or whether it is general in that everyone who follows God should be doing it.

Jeremiah 34

A Prophecy against Zedekiah

      1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, with all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying, 2“Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him: “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire. 3‘You will not escape from his hand, for you will surely be captured and delivered into his hand; and you will see the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he will speak with you face to face, and you will go to Babylon.’”’ 4“Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the LORD concerning you, ‘You will not die by the sword. 5‘You will die in peace; and as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you; and they will lament for you, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word,” declares the LORD.

      6Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem 7when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the remaining cities of Judah, that is, Lachish and Azekah, for they alone remained as fortified cities among the cities of Judah.

      8The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them: 9that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman; so that no one should keep them, a Jew his brother, in bondage. 10And all the officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, so that no one should keep them any longer in bondage; they obeyed, and set them free. 11But afterward they turned around and took back the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection for male servants and for female servants.

      12Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 13“Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘I made a covenant with your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, saying, 14“At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me. 15“Although recently you had turned and done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming release to his neighbor, and you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name. 16“Yet you turned and profaned My name, and each man took back his male servant and each man his female servant whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your male servants and female servants.”’

      17“Therefore thus says the LORD, ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,’ declares the LORD, ‘to the sword, to the pestilence and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18‘I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts— 19the officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the court officers and the priests and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf— 20I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. 21‘Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has gone away from you. 22‘Behold, I am going to command,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring them back to this city; and they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.’”

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

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

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Obeying God, Study the Word, Teachable

Did Jesus Declare All Food Clean?

There are some topics that are clearly a challenge to cover in a daily post or article which is intended to be read quickly. There are clearly topics that one can only touch on and stage some ideas in a brief setting like this one and then those who are reading must pray and choose to study and consider more thoughtfully after they have finished reading. Today’s subject is one of those topics from scripture.

There is a phrase included in some, but not all, English translations of the Bible in Mark 7:19 that goes something like this… “(Thus He declared all foods clean.)”

Many wish to immediately jump on this, if it is in the translation of the Bible they are reading, and declare that all foods are clean. They jump to the seeming conclusion that they already want to be true, despite the inconsistency it creates with regards to scripture in broader context and comparison. We should take caution and tread carefully before jumping to conclusions. Test everything against the full context of the entire Bible.

Mark 7:1-23

Followers of Tradition

      1The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, 2and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. 3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; 4and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) 5The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?”

6And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

      7‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’

8“Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

      9He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. 10“For Moses said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER’; and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH’; 11but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),’ 12you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; 13thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”

The Heart of Man

      14After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. 16[“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”]

      17When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. 18And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23“All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”

Several things draw my attention in regards to the phrase “(Thus He declared all foods clean.)”

1- The declaration that suddenly all food is clean is completely out of context in the scripture. The scripture is about the flawed basis of traditions of men that people cling to and specifically about being made unclean by not washing hands before eating. It has nothing to do with what things are considered appropriate to eat or not.

2- Cross check with other English translations shows that this phrase only shows up in some versions. I suspect, but have not completed, a further study of the history of this verse and tracing it back might prove interesting to determine if it is original or was added in some translations at a later time. For example… it is not in the King James Version. Is it in the original Greek?

3- Similarly, a cross check with the other gospels, such as Matthew 15, reveal that this phrase is not included.

The Heart of Man

      15Peter said to Him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16Jesus said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also? 17“Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? 18“But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. 20“These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

4- Other detailed cross checks and study across scripture identifies many other conflicts with the claim that all things we could eat are considered good and appropriate to eat. We could cite many Old Testament scripture but also just observing the behavior of Jesus and the disciples shows a complete continuity of their lives lining up with God’s instruction from the Old Testament.

5- We could further explore this phrase… “all foods clean”. When I say to someone I like cupcakes, it does not mean that I like every possible cupcake that could be imagined… such as ant and cricket stuffed straw cupcakes. It means that for the wide variety of things that I consider to be described as cupcakes, I generally like them. Similarly, one could ask … “If I say all food is clean, then what exactly do I mean by “food”.” Would it make sense that I mean “anything that I put in my mouth”? Of course not. I can put rocks in my mouth but that is not food. Exploring a bit deeper in the culture of the ones speaking and documenting the scripture… they are Jewish. They define food in that culture and context consistent with God’s definition of food from the Old Testament. That is very different than what we, today, may consider to be food.

The clear message of the scripture is simply that in regards to man’s traditions, such as washing hands before eating, we will not be defiled by failing to follow these traditions. We are much more defiled by our attitudes in which we dishonor or disrespect God and His instructions that come from our heart and reveal our lack of obedience and faithfulness to God.

For those of you who are “germ conscious”… have no fear… it is ok to wash your hands before you eat to address your germ concerns. That is not really the point of the scripture either.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to challenge and test everything against Your word. Let me not simply accept what is commonly taught. Help me to have a desire to study and seek You diligently. Open my eyes to the truth of Your word. Help me to see through Your eyes. Help me also remember that those who may disagree with me on certain doctrine  are not my enemies. We should test and challenge scripture with one another. 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.

All Powerful / King of All, Demons, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Miracles, Miracles, Obeying God, Spiritual Warfare

Responding to Yeshua: Lessons from Demons, Townspeople, and the Transformed

There are quite a few scriptures in the Bible that show us directly how demons and people act when confronted by Yeshua and His miracles. These encounters are worth reflecting on prayerfully.

In Mark 5, we have the opportunity to observe demons, a man who had demons cast out, and some pig farmers and townspeople all react when confronted with the glory of Yeshua and His power. All of their reactions still have relevance for us today as we reflect on our own responses to Yeshua in our lives.

Mark 5:1-20

The Gerasene Demoniac

1They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, 3and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. 6Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7and shouting with a loud voice, he said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. 12The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” 13Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.

14Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened. 16Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17And they began to implore Him to leave their region. 18As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

Many people become complacent in their search for Yeshua by simply stopping at “I know Yeshua is real” or “I believe Yeshua is Son of God”.  Take caution if this is your attitude, because so do the demons. The demons actually immediately recognized Yeshua immediately and knew who He was and knew of His power. They asked permission to not be cast away entirely. They were constrained by His power. In fact, the first thing they did was bring the man to bow down before Yeshua. I would say this is a great deal more respectful than many people act when confronted with Yeshua, and these are demons who oppose Him!

Simply acknowledging the reality that Jesus is God is not enough. We must surrender to Him as Lord of our life and seek after Him. We must put our faith in Him, which will be reflected in our change in behavior and attitude toward all we do in life. We start to live as He lived instead of how we have been living as part of the world. Let us not be complacent to simply acknowledge the historical person of Jesus.

Let us now consider the response of the people in the story to the actions of Yeshua. The man who had been demon-possessed was forever changed. He knew what it was that Yeshua had done for him and wanted to follow Him. More importantly, he submitted to Yeshua, choosing to obey what Yeshua called him to do instead of pursuing his own desires… even though they were good desires to follow Yeshua. This man likely had great impact remaining amongst those that knew his history and could see the transformational change in him. Yeshua knew where he wanted this man to be and what he wanted him to do in proclaiming the good news of Messiah.

The reaction of the herdsmen and the people who return with them from the city is clearly disappointing. In truth, their reaction is perhaps worse than that of the demons. They see an undeniable miracle take place and all they can do is react in fear and self interest and ask Yeshua to leave. What a lost opportunity for them. However, take note that Yeshua did not hold a grudge… He actually used the man who was possessed by demons to remain in region and proclaim the word to help these people. Yeshua loves them even though they fear Him.

Prayerfully reflect, “How do you react to the instructions of God? to the prompting of the Holy Spirit?

Do you, like the demons, acknowledge the power of Yeshua, but refuse to submit to Him as a faithful servant? Are you like the townspeople, so uncomfortable with the presence of God that you look past His miracles and focus on your own desires and interests?

Or rather, do you listen carefully and obey His instructions even if it conflicts with your desires, as the man who was demon-possessed demonstrated?

When we obey God instead of our own desires, then truly God can use us for His glory! Others around you should be able to see that you are different, that God has changed you. You are a light and should no longer “blend in” with those around you.

If you find yourself reasoning… “but the man was cured of demon possession… of course he was transformed and excited… how does this apply to my life”… then consider that truly each and every one of us is a sinful being who is due punishment for our sin. The punishment for sin is death. Only through Yeshua’s death on the cross for our sins and  our genuine submission to Him, seeking forgiveness, shall any of us be delivered from death to everlasting life with God. All of us are corrupted by sin and headed for eternal suffering in hell if not for the actions of Yeshua. In effect, Yeshua has rescued all of us in similar fashion to what we read about in Mark 5. Do we respond in like manner to the man who was demon-possessed? We should be laser-focused on Yeshua and seeking to follow Him and obey Him in all aspects of our lives.

Be prepared that many will reject or resist this transformation in you as they reject God, Himself. Stand up for God anyway and proclaim the good news of Messiah! God may use you as a vehicle to save others by leading them to Him.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for sending Messiah to make a way for me to be reconciled to You. Please help me to embrace You through Yeshua, even when You ask me to do something other than what I want to do. Let me not be absorbed in my own desires and self interest. Let Your glory be shown through me to others. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

 

Am I on the path?, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Parables

Parable of the Sower and Soils… Which Soil Are You?

As you read this well known parable from our Lord, Jesus Christ, pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you and reveal answers to the following questions…

“Which soil are you?”

“Are you just the soil, or also a sower?”

I would also encourage you to keep in mind that the seed, the word of Yahweh, is consistent throughout. That is not what drives the difference in outcome. The difference in outcome is driven by the soil.

Mark 4:1-25

Parable of the Sower and Soils

1He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3“Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5“Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6“And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7“Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8“Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”

Explanation

13And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14“The sower sows the word. 15“These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16“In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18“And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20“And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

21And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? 22“For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. 23“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. 25“For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

I can look back on my life and see times when I have been the path and then later choked by the weeds and now more and more I see God moving in my life and leading me to bear fruit for His kingdom. As I have become more fruitful, I begin to become a sower as well, though I must never stop being the soil to draw in His word.  I still have a long way to go, but praise God for His grace to work inside of me!

As you pray for wisdom and guidance from the Spirit, also reflect prayerfully on how to change to become even more fruitful for the kingdom of God. Identify a few simple actions to take even starting this week. Do not be so discouraged as to not try nor think of yourself as better than you are and risk remaining complacent. Rather be honest and start your journey from where you are today. The only lasting regret is if you refuse to move forward to serve Yeshua more!

I also encourage you not to try to do this all on your own. Ask the Spirit to help you, to transform you, so that you can be more fruitful.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your word. Thank You for the Spirit to help guide me. Please help me to be more fruitful for Your kingdom. Help me to be the good soil. Lead me in growing to be more of a sower as well of 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.

Am I on the path?, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Traditions / Holidays

Reflect on Freedom: Follow God’s Instructions with Wisdom

Many in the USA celebrate freedom as a key part of the heritage of our July 4 national holiday. It commemorates the independence of the USA from England and the policies of the government there for which the colonies were not represented. We can be reminded to value our freedom and not take it for granted. Fireworks and parties are commonplace. The birth of a free nation is celebrated. We do not celebrate this freedom by rebelling against the very nation that protects and provides our freedom. We do not declare that our freedom means we are no longer subject to any laws.

This day is a good opportunity for us to reflect deeper on one who is greater than us and who also allows us the freedom to make our own choices. Our Creator made us in His image and allows us the freedom to follow Him on His terms or live in rebellion to Him, choosing instead to honor and follow the desires of our flesh and sinful nature. We do not have the freedom to truly follow Him while defining our own terms regarding how we will do so. When we change the terms, we are no longer following Him His way. All of us are inherently sinful. Babies at birth need not be taught to scream when they want something. Young children need to be taught to share, taking what they want comes naturally. We must learn to focus on the needs of others just as we must learn God’s ways in order to be set apart and different than the world.

Our Father, YHWH, provided us instructions to follow as any good father does for His children. Often the instructions are for the benefit of the children themselves, even if they don’t understand that fully. The instructions have been communicated through thousands of years and neatly compiled into the Bible we have so readily available to us today, so long as we choose to open it or click the link to it. We need only pray for enlightenment from the Spirit and read with a desire to learn and change our behaviors to follow God’s instructions. We should not read with a desire to justify all of our current actions and attitudes… that is redefining God in our image rather than redefining ourselves in His image.

We talk often in Christian community about freedom through Christ. It is amazing, but sadly many get confused by false teaching about this freedom. What are we set free from?

The short answer is that all too often people essentially say we are set free from all boundaries and can do anything, and God will be pleased. This is false. This would be akin to saying we are free in the United States and then pretending that there are no laws or boundaries governing what is acceptable behavior and what will land you in prison. God has established guidelines and instructions for us to follow to help us, as a father does for his children. Are we to use our freedom to rebel against the one who gives it to us? No. Christ sets us free from the law of sin and death. He sets us free in that we can be reconciled to YHWH even when we do not live out his instructions perfectly to his standard. This means, simply that we can be forgiven for our sins, because Jesus already paid the price required by the law for our sins. We can be set free from condemnation and guilt, but we are to repent from the sinful ways and do things according to God’s instruction. We are to follow Christ.

Romans 8:1-4

1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Many teach that we are set free from the law, from God’s instructions, but this is not correct. Jesus followed God’s instructions throughout His earthly ministry and so did His disciples. In fact, he was judged righteous in that he lived perfectly according to the law. He never taught against following God’s law, only against following the man-made traditions of the Pharisees and Sadducees that were overburdening people with meaningless traditions and distracting from or even contradicting God’s law. We must ask ourselves… “Is Jesus our example to follow? or our excuse to live how we want rather than how God tells us to?”

Throughout the scriptures, God’s law is highlighted as good, as worthy of love, of setting us free from the lure of sin by showing us what is right. It is a light unto our path to guide us. I have included a few excerpts from Psalm 119, but you should click the link and read the whole Psalm. Many others have similar content. The law of God is to be obeyed. Jesus did not come to set us free from it.

Psalm 119 (excerpts – I encourage you to read 119 completely)

97O how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.

98Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are ever mine.

—

142Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.

143Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
Yet Your commandments are my delight.

—

162I rejoice at Your word,
As one who finds great spoil.

163I hate and despise falsehood,
But I love Your law.

164Seven times a day I praise You,
Because of Your righteous ordinances.

165Those who love Your law have great peace,
And nothing causes them to stumble.

—

171Let my lips utter praise,
For You teach me Your statutes.

172Let my tongue sing of Your word,
For all Your commandments are righteousness.

Would it make sense that Jesus came to set us free from wisdom, delight, truth, and peace? Certainly not. This would be absurd. Jesus came to set us free from the law of sin and death. Yes, we all sin, and thus deserve death. However, Jesus sets us free from that guilt and condemnation and judgment because He already paid the price for us. What He calls for in return as part of this freedom is that we submit to God, repent of our sinful ways, and seek after God. True repentance transforms us to be different from the world and to become more and more like Jesus as we continue to grow in wisdom and maturity in our faith over the course of our lifetime.

Just as we see so obviously in the physical world, freedom brings responsibility and accountability for the choices we make. It is similar with our Father in heaven. Freedom comes with responsibility and accountability. There are spiritual consequences in our relationship with God and ultimate destination when we die from this life and go into eternity to heaven or hell. There are also physical and emotional impacts in our lives today based on how well we follow the instructions He has provided. After all, the loving Father and Creator knows how best to guide His creations. He gives us the answers, but we need to listen and obey… even when we don’t understand fully.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to follow You according to Your ways. Help me rejoice and celebrate freedom in Christ from bondage to sin. You provide forgiveness from my sins and reconciliation to You. Let me not use Your forgiveness as an excuse for me to live my own way and call that “freedom” to do as I want. That is wrong. Thank You for the freedom to choose to follow You. Help me to choose You and embrace You fully. Amen.  

Learn more:

—-

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?, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Guide, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Slow to Anger

Live According to God’s Righteousness: A Message from Jeremiah 22

The message of Jeremiah 22 is dramatic. God is not pleased with His people and how they have been living without righteousness… His righteousness.

I am sure they felt they were living right. To every man, his way seems right. However, God judges based on His instructions for how to live, based on His righteousness. We do not get to decide what is right and pleasing to the LORD.

Do not assume just because you call upon the LORD that He is pleased regardless of what you do and how you live. Seek to live according to His righteousness.

Jeremiah 22

Warning of Jerusalem’s Fall

      1Thus says the LORD, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word 2and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates. 3‘Thus says the LORD, “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4“For if you men will indeed perform this thing, then kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people. 5“But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself,” declares the LORD, “that this house will become a desolation.”’”

6For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah:
“You are like Gilead to Me,
Like the summit of Lebanon;
Yet most assuredly I will make you like a wilderness,
Like cities which are not inhabited.

      7“For I will set apart destroyers against you,
Each with his weapons;
And they will cut down your choicest cedars
And throw them on the fire.

      8“Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this great city?’ 9“Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.’”

      10Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him,
But weep continually for the one who goes away;
For he will never return
Or see his native land.

      11For thus says the LORD in regard to Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place, “He will never return there; 12but in the place where they led him captive, there he will die and not see this land again.

Messages about the Kings

13“Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness
And his upper rooms without justice,
Who uses his neighbor’s services without pay
And does not give him his wages,

      14Who says, ‘I will build myself a roomy house
With spacious upper rooms,
And cut out its windows,
Paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red.’

      15“Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink
And do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him.

      16“He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy;
Then it was well.
Is not that what it means to know Me?”
Declares the LORD.

      17“But your eyes and your heart
Are intent only upon your own dishonest gain,
And on shedding innocent blood
And on practicing oppression and extortion.”

      18Therefore thus says the LORD in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah,
“They will not lament for him:
‘Alas, my brother!’ or, ‘Alas, sister!’
They will not lament for him:
‘Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’

      19“He will be buried with a donkey’s burial,
Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

      20“Go up to Lebanon and cry out,
And lift up your voice in Bashan;
Cry out also from Abarim,
For all your lovers have been crushed.

      21“I spoke to you in your prosperity;
But you said, ‘I will not listen!’
This has been your practice from your youth,
That you have not obeyed My voice.

      22“The wind will sweep away all your shepherds,
And your lovers will go into captivity;
Then you will surely be ashamed and humiliated
Because of all your wickedness.

      23“You who dwell in Lebanon,
Nested in the cedars,
How you will groan when pangs come upon you,
Pain like a woman in childbirth!

      24“As I live,” declares the LORD, “even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; 25and I will give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26“I will hurl you and your mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die. 27“But as for the land to which they desire to return, they will not return to it.

      28“Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar?
Or is he an undesirable vessel?
Why have he and his descendants been hurled out
And cast into a land that they had not known?

      29“O land, land, land,
Hear the word of the LORD!

30“Thus says the LORD,
‘Write this man down childless,
A man who will not prosper in his days;
For no man of his descendants will prosper
Sitting on the throne of David
Or ruling again in Judah.’”

Avoid the trap of assuming that if you call upon the name of the LORD, He is pleased and satisfied with you. He expects more from His children than just “lip service”. He calls us to live according to His righteousness, according to His word. This is what is pleasing to Him.

Take time to pray and reflect. What changes should you make in your life to live more in tune with God’s instructions?

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

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

Blessed, Curse, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

God’s Favor and Discipline: The Choice Between Blessing and Cursing

Not all among God’s people carry favor with Him. Many have turned away from Him and His instructions and go their own way.  All the while, they hope God will protect them even while they yet disobey Him. There are times when God Himself comes against His people to discipline them. He offers life or death (Jeremiah 21 verses 8-9 below). He offers blessing or cursing (obedience or disobedience).  More often than we think, we get to choose based on our actions and obedience.

Jeremiah 21

Jeremiah’s Message for Zedekiah

      1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2“Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us; perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all His wonderful acts, so that the enemy will withdraw from us.”

      3Then Jeremiah said to them, “You shall say to Zedekiah as follows: 4‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel, “Behold, I am about to turn back the weapons of war which are in your hands, with which you are warring against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall; and I will gather them into the center of this city. 5“I Myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation. 6“I will also strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they will die of a great pestilence. 7“Then afterwards,” declares the LORD, “I will give over Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people, even those who survive in this city from the pestilence, the sword and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their foes and into the hand of those who seek their lives; and he will strike them down with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them nor have pity nor compassion.”’

      8“You shall also say to this people, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9“He who dwells in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as booty. 10“For I have set My face against this city for harm and not for good,” declares the LORD. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire.”’

      11“Then say to the household of the king of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD,

12O house of David, thus says the LORD:
“Administer justice every morning;
And deliver the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor,
That My wrath may not go forth like fire
And burn with none to extinguish it,
Because of the evil of their deeds.

      13“Behold, I am against you, O valley dweller,
O rocky plain,” declares the LORD,
“You men who say, ‘Who will come down against us?
Or who will enter into our habitations?’

      14“But I will punish you according to the results of your deeds,” declares the LORD,
“And I will kindle a fire in its forest
That it may devour all its environs.”’”

It is not enough to just ask God to bless you and protect you while remaining in sin. Truly turn your heart towards Him, repent, and seek Him diligently.

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

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

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Humility, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Teachable

Embracing the Truth: Humility and Teachability in Following Jesus

The Pharisees often struggled to understand the truth of Jesus’ teaching. They already thought they understood everything based on their rules and traditions and their application of God’s laws and commands. They struggled then to understand and accept when Jesus did differently than they expected because they did not have a humble and teachable attitude. They did not recognize and accept Jesus as divine authority with divine understanding of God’s law that was above their own understanding.

We must take a different approach if we are to learn from Jesus rather than cling to our existing man made traditions. We should test everything against the life of Jesus and the whole of scripture.

Mark 2:23-28

Question of the Sabbath

      23And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. 24The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25And He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28“So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

In today’s scripture, we can observe several key elements from Jesus’ behavior and discussion.

Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Thus, God did not make man just to worship Him on Sabbath for His own pleasure. Rather, God created the Sabbath as a much needed day of rest, prayer, and study of scripture to help man in his life to draw near to God and other people. Sabbath can rest and strengthen us as we go through difficult times and it can encourage us even in good times. It keeps us focused on God.

Not all of God’s commands are equally important in all situations. While we should strive to obey all of them, applied in proper context, there are situations where we need to use good judgment to recognize that we must deviate. One such example is cited by Jesus, Himself regarding David and his men. Another example is demonstrated by Jesus allowing His disciples to pick grain.  As I look to apply in my life, I have encountered situations where I have the opportunity to help someone on a Sabbath… that is good. However, even acts of service and love can interfere in our Sabbath rest and worship if we always schedule them for Sabbath. When practical I try to schedule on other days to keep my Sabbath open. I have to use good judgment to balance the decisions. We shall not be so literal as to miss opportunities to show love to one another and help one another when urgent. (Think about the parable of the good Samaritan. Take the time to help someone in need.)

Jesus clearly takes hold of the claim that He is the “Son of Man” and is “Lord even of the Sabbath”. While this may not be clear to some of us as we read from our culture and time, it is a clear statement that He is one with God. Only God is Lord of the Sabbath. Son of Man refers to the Messiah. Jesus clearly identifies Himself to those listening.

As we continue to try to learn more about the truth of God’s word, let us be careful to show grace to fellow believers in regards to our customs and traditions (e.g. such as around Sabbath). Teach and share truth as Jesus did, without rejecting those who seek to learn it just because they do not yet know it.  Not everyone understands the truth to the same level.

All of us are influenced by the worldly culture that surrounds us… that we grew up in. Sometimes it is hard to separate that out and reject it and turn fully toward God’s path. It certainly requires study and time to uncover the full truth of God’s word. It requires prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit to transform one’s life. Let us show grace to fellow believers who may not fully understand or apply the truth as we do and let us remain humble and teachable so that we can continue to learn more about God’s truth and how to apply it in our lives.

—-

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.

Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Father / Yahweh, Obeying God, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Returning to God: Rediscovering His Ways for a Blessed Life

The first 18 verses of Jeremiah 17 bring attention to how Israel had turned away from the LORD. They were doing their own thing. They were not living unto the LORD and obeying His instructions. In that context, Jeremiah was to proclaim the Sabbath with a warning to obey and experience blessing or disobey and experience discipline.

God wanted the hearts of the people turned back toward Him. He wants this still today! Too many of us have turned away to go our own way or follow what everyone else is doing. We have lost much of what God calls us to do, including truly observing the Sabbath as one example. Sabbath was more than simply resting, it was a sign between God and His people (Ezekiel 20:20).

Jeremiah 17:19-27

The Sabbath Must Be Kept

      19Thus the LORD said to me, “Go and stand in the public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as in all the gates of Jerusalem; 20and say to them, ‘Listen to the word of the LORD, kings of Judah, and all Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates: 21‘Thus says the LORD, “Take heed for yourselves, and do not carry any load on the sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. 22“You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the sabbath day nor do any work, but keep the sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers. 23“Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction.

      24“But it will come about, if you listen attentively to Me,” declares the LORD, “to bring no load in through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to keep the sabbath day holy by doing no work on it, 25then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26“They will come in from the cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the LORD. 27“But if you do not listen to Me to keep the sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem and not be quenched.”’”

Challenge yourself to seek out God’s ways. Do not judge based on church norms or cultural norms. Dive into the Bible and study to see how God has instructed us to live. What guidance has He given His people? The Sabbath is one example. God instructs us to observe the Sabbath and tells us it was made for our benefit.  As one who grew up ignoring the Sabbath and has not started observing it for over 10 years, I can say that I see tremendous benefit that I did not know I was missing. The same is true for instructions He has given. Let us rediscover God’s ways and apply them in our lives.

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

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