Category Archives: Righteousness / Serving God

Money / Finances / Wealth, Traditions / Holidays, Wise, Worldliness

Spending and Debt – The Christmas Hangover

Sharing this message originally written by our partnership website, GrowGodsMoney.org.

Christmas is over and many of us are back at work. This is a good time to reflect on how we celebrate Christmas and brace for the credit card bills that are coming our way in January.  A good time to reflect on the last few weeks and look ahead with a plan for next Christmas.

Most people in our culture get drawn into the heavy marketing and traditions of the season which tell us that we should buy many things for everyone we know in order to show them that we love them or even care about them. As a result, they are facing heavy credit card debt from well-intended spending. For those who put it on a credit card and can not pay it off right away they will now also pay high interest until it is paid off, increasing the bill for the season.

It goes well beyond the money alone. Gift exchanging actually becomes a stressful distraction from those attempting to celebrate Christ at Christmas. It can consume even those with the best intent for one whole month out of every year. It centers gift giving and getting as the important part of celebrating instead of Jesus Christ.

While you are experiencing your Christmas financial hangover, please consider a few alternatives or suggestions for next year.

1- Reduce the number of people for whom you buy gifts.

Buying gifts for everyone you know is not necessary. Instead of buying gifts out of obligation for many with whom you are not close, just make a point to be nice to them all year round. Treat them with kindness and sensitivity and they will know you care for them even if you do not give them a gift. If they only like you when they receive a gift, then they are not really your friend anyway. If you are concerned they will buy for you and you will not have something for them, just have a real conversation with them about managing your expenses and budget responsibly and encourage them not to give something to you. If they are not close enough to you to have this conversation, then why are you even exchanging gifts with them? In some cases, it may be very important to someone close to you to exchange gifts… go ahead if you want to.

2- Reduce how much you spend on each person

Contrary to advertising… you do not need to buy a car, a diamond, gold jewelry, expensive electronics, etc. for people just because it is Christmas. If you don’t show them you love them throughout the year, you will not fool them with an expensive gift in December. For those with whom you want to give or exchange presents, you can set a reasonable budget for each person and then stick to it. This helps you set your overall Christmas budget in a predictable instead of impulsive way.

3- Save up your Christmas budget in advance and avoid credit cards you can not pay back before you have to pay interest.

Once you decide who you will get gifts for and how much to spend, you have a good estimate for your budget planning. Now divide by 11 and start saving it each month starting in January and continuing through November. Inevitably you will still have surprise expenses in December from the season’s activities, so you don’t plan on taking money for gifts from that months budget.

4- You can even consider replacing your current gift exchange traditions with a donation to a charity or family in need… someone you can give to in God’s name with no hope of receiving a gift in return. You will spend less money and honor God more.

5- Simply agree not to exchange presents. Enjoy spending time together without the high expense and extra distraction.

If you find yourself condemning me as “Grinch”… I do not mind. You are not alone, but you are in fact also not correct. If Christmas is all about giving and getting gifts as the centerpiece and focus, then it has nothing to do with Jesus Christ and is simply a pagan festival (e.g. Winter Solstice) where people want to get a lot of expensive stuff from each other. I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically reject giving (and receiving) gifts on the basis of obligation.

The alternative is to recognize that gifts are intended not as the focus, but as a means of showing those closest to us that we were thinking of them. That does not require spending lots of money, despite what our culture would have us believe. Besides, you can  give gifts to those you love any time during the year… it does not all have to be at Christmas.

Many tell us that giving gifts is a tradition originated to honor God’s gift to us in the birth of Jesus Christ or because of the acts of the real man who came to be known as Saint Nicholas. Though many give with this in mind, the fact is that this is not the accurate origin of gift exchange. In fact gift giving to children in late December did not start with Christian origins, but rather as part of a pagan celebration of the sun god, Saturnalia, in ancient Rome. It is easy to research for yourself… even in Christian history encyclopedias such as by Zondervan.

Let’s explore the gift giving tradition further and test if it is even consistent with celebrating Jesus’ birth according to the principles of the Biblical record of that glorious event. Does this tradition point to or honor God, or is it just a tradition of men and a potential distraction from God?

Mary and Joseph did not get gifts for one another or even for Jesus and they knew who He was and that He would be born soon. The shepherds came to celebrate and honor God. They did what they were commanded by God to do… which did not involve bringing gifts. The wise men did not even come when Jesus was born… contrary to common tradition.  Scripture tells us they came and found Jesus in a house, not a manger. Herod killed all the male children two years and younger… not a week and younger, or even a few months and younger. It was likely they arrived over a year after Jesus was born. When they did come, they brought gifts to honor God. They did not exchange gifts with each other, nor did they expect to receive gifts in return from Joseph and Mary. I should not fail to mention that God came down as Jesus to die for us and while this is a great gift, He expects no gift from us in return.

So if you really want to focus on giving gifts to honor Christian traditions… give in a way that honors God to those who will not be able to give anything in return and convince others to do the same. You will honor God more, find more joy instead of stress, and spend less.

If suggestions number 4-5 seem overwhelming… start with suggestions number 1-3. The less focus you put on gift exchange, the more focus you will find is available to consider God’s gift to us in the person of Jesus Christ. You will have more time and less stress to enjoy the holidays and hopefully next year you will not have the Christmas hangover in January.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Arrogance, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Murder, Obeying God, Parables, Persecution / Glorifying God, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Selfishness, Slow to Anger, Submitted / Servant, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

How Will You Treat God’s Messengers? His Son?

The Parable of the Landowner lays out in Yeshua’s words a summary of the relationship of Yahweh with His people, Israel. He chose them. For a time they followed Him. There were times when they rejected and mistreated His prophets (servants in the parable). So, He sends Yeshua (the landowner’s son in the parable) to the people of Israel. They reject Him and kill Him. Ultimately the LORD scatters the Jewish people and reaches out to gentiles to be grafted in to His people and His ways. This may sometimes be called “spiritual Israel” to differentiate from physical Israel which is a nation of Jewish people, who do not accept Yeshua as Messiah, but have the lineage back to Jacob who was renamed Israel.

As you read the parable, keep these things in mind. Consider what it can mean for us as His people today if we refuse to listen to His instructions and His messengers or even as we reject His son as a nation.

Matthew 21:22-45

Parable of the Landowner

      33“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 34“When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. 35“The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. 36“Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. 37“But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38“But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39“They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40“Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”

      42Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone;
THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,
AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?

43“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44“And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

      45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.

When the chief priests and Pharisees heard the parable from Yeshua, they were not open to listening and learning and then changing their lives in repentance. They got defensive and rejected the message and the messenger. Ironically they moved right toward the worst part of the warning in the parable… to kill the landowner’s son. I pray those of us reading this today will be more open to receive Yahweh’s message and apply it in our lives. The wise listen to correction and learn from it. They receive a rebuke and change. Fools and arrogant people assume they are right and anyone who speaks to the contrary is wrong and must be silenced or ignored.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to receive your rebukes and the truth of your word from scripture. Help me not to be arrogant and defensive like the Pharisees and chief priests in the scripture reading. Rather than striking down a messenger who brings a message of truth and warning, help us to listen and turn towards you and your ways. Let us receive the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. Help us have the courage and wisdom to change where we should. As a nation, and as a global body of Christ, help us to experience revival and restoration. Lift up the righteous and strike down the wicked from power and influence. Help your people to draw near to you and be loyal servants with a right relationship with you. Amen. 

Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

Fear / Reverence for God, Love, Obeying God, Parables, Submitted / Servant

Repent and Do the Will of the Father

It would be great to imagine that we all start out from birth or a very young age following and obeying Yahweh. This is simply not how it works. We all start out focused on self and not on God, even as infants. They know to call for their own needs or wants instinctively, but have to learn to consider those of others or of God.

Often even as we get older or into our adult years, many continue to make mistakes and walk in a way that is not pleasing to the LORD… or at least not fully pleasing. There is good news. It is not how we start that matters most, but rather how we finish.

We should all seek to repent of our wicked ways and seek to live out the will of the Father. That will typically cause us to change a lot in our lives, even if we went to church all our lives but did not have a close relationship with Him. The truth is that all of us sin and all of us can continue to seek a closer relationship with Him and seek to walk more and more in His ways rather than our own or the ways of men. So long as we are alive, it is not too late.

Matthew 21:28-32

Parable of Two Sons

      28“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ 29“And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. 30“The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. 31“Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32“For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

Really let the parable sink in. It is not saying that we love Him that matters, but rather actually loving Him which is shown by obeying His commandments (more than just His top 10, but all which He commands in the scriptures) and living His ways (see how He lived while dwelling among us and follow His example documented in scripture).

John 14:15

      15“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Keep in mind, if our heart is toward Him and we are genuinely seeking Him, we need not be perfect. David was called a man after God’s own heart and he had many serious sins in his path. His heart for God was often shown best by how he repented when he did wrong and sought forgiveness rather than stubbornly making excuses that he was not wrong.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to say yes to you right away and then obey with my actions. When I fall short of this standard, help me to turn from my wicked ways and repent as your servant David did. Help me to truly have a heart for you, a heart to obey in actions rather than simply words.  Help me to have a realistic view of my walk with you and not rationalize or blind myself to my sins and mistakes. Help me to always want to draw nearer to you and walk more and more in your ways. Thank you for your grace and mercy that lead to forgiveness for those who accept Christ as Lord and Messiah. 

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.

Courage / Fear, Discerning / Judging, Guide, Purposeful / Intentional, Wise

Yeshua Did Not Shy from Confrontation and Neither Should We

Yeshua is not a pushover. He does not just cave to those who come against Him. In fact, He sets a very clear example of how we are to engage in many confrontations we may encounter based on how He repeatedly dealt with confrontations from those in authority.  One such example is recorded in Matthew 21.

Matthew 21:21-27

Authority Challenged

      23When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” 24Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25“The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26“But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.” 27And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Yeshua is wise and stands firm. He knows when people are not really interested in listening or believing Him and He avoids their traps. He does not shy away from confrontation. Sometimes He responds with great cleverness by redirecting the discussion to something that the opponent is uncomfortable dealing with rather than feeling as if He must answer whatever they ask. He has great perception and discernment to know who is really seeking Him, and who is seeking opportunity to undermine Him and His message.

Do not think His response in this chapter is “one size fits all”. There are other examples such as when people were going to try to kill Him where He simply slipped away in the crowd when He needed to do so. John 10:39 is one such example.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me have discernment and courage in dealing with confrontation, especially when I am standing for Your truth. Help me to respond confidently and wisely. Please protect us from the evil one, who comes against us and help open the eyes of those that oppose You so that they would see You in truth and turn to follow You. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Faith / Trusting God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus (hearing from God), Miracles, Parables, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Bear Fruit for His Kingdom and Build Strong Faith

We can read in Matthew 21 and also in Mark  11 about an historical account in which Yeshua cursed a barren fig tree. I will introduce it here and then include reference from  Barnes Commentary on BibleHub.com which provides good background study notes.

Matthew 21:18-22

The Barren Fig Tree

      18Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.

      20Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” 21And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. 22“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Let us begin by noting that Yeshua was not addressing the fig tree out of anger or because he wanted to give a gardening lesson to His disciples. He was using this as a visual and memorable teaching moment to highlight the state of the people throughout Israel.

The fig tree is a warning for all of us who follow Yahweh. Our purpose is to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. If we are not bearing fruit, then we have lost our purpose and thus may be cursed. This warning aligns well with God’s promise for a blessing or a curse for His people based on our choice in obedience or disobedience.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

26“See, I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse: 27the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; 28and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.

The bottom line is we should take seriously our choices in life to obey and thus bear fruit by living for Yahweh. Do not be complacent individually, as a family, or as a nation. There are consequences. By all means, pray and ask Holy Spirit to help you and others. We do not have to do this alone. Help and encourage one another.

There is also a strong message in Matthew 21 that reinforces the importance of faith and opens up a conversation about promises in the Bible.

Matthew 21:20-22

   20Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” 21And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. 22“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Some promises in the Bible are offered to all that will follow after Yeshua and some promises are directed at a specific group of individuals such as the apostles. It may not always be clear and there may be a difference of opinion.

I believe the promise in these verses about being able to do great miracles with strong faith is aimed at a specific group of disciples, and not everyone who will ever follow Christ afterwards. There is evidence of them being able to do great miracles in the Biblical record. We also can observe that not everyone who follows Christ and believes they can do miracles can do them just by having faith.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have strong faith in You and please help me to bear fruit for Your kingdom. I want to live a life that is pleasing to You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that leads and guides me and thank You for sending Yeshua to teach us, live out an example for us to follow, and die for our sins.  

I encourage those who want to study more context to continue reading the below excerpt from the Barnes commentary on BibleHub.com.

Matthew 21:19
And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

And when he saw a fig-tree in the way … – This tree was standing in the public road.

It was therefore common property and anyone might lawfully use its fruit. Mark says Mark 11:13, “Seeing a fig-tree afar off, having leaves, he came,” etc. Not far off “from the road,” but at a considerable distance from the place where he was. Having loaves, and appearing healthy and luxuriant, they presumed that there would be fruit on it. Mark says Mark 11:13, “he came, if haply he might find anything thereon.” That is, judging from the “appearance” of the tree, it was “probable” that there would be fruit on it. We are not to suppose that our Lord was ignorant of the true condition of the tree, but he acted according to the appearance of things; being a man as well as divine, he acted, of course, as people do act in such circumstances.

And found nothing thereon but leaves only – Mark 11:13 gives as a reason for this that “the time of figs was not yet.” That is, the time “of gathering” the figs was not yet, or had not passed. It was a time when figs were ripe or suitable to eat, or he would not have gone to it, expecting to find them; but the time of gathering them had not passed, and it was to be presumed that they were still on the tree. This took place on the week of the Passover, or in the beginning of April. Figs, in Palestine, are commonly ripe at the Passover. The summer in Palestine begins in March, and it is no uncommon thing that figs should be eatable in April. It is said that they sometimes produce fruit the year round.

Mark 11:12-13 says that this took place on the morning of the day on which he purified the temple. Matthew would lead us to suppose that it was on the day following. Matthew records briefly what Mark records more “fully.” Matthew states the fact that the fig-tree was barren and withered away, without regarding minutely the order or the circumstances in which the event took place. There is no contradiction, because Matthew does not affirm that this took place on the morning after the temple was cleansed, though he places it in that order; nor does he say that a day did not elapse after the fig-tree was cursed before the disciples discovered that it was withered, though he does not affirm that it was so. Such circumstantial variations, where there is no positive contradiction, go greatly to confirm the truth of a narrative. They show that the writers were honest men, and did not “conspire” to deceive the world.

And said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee … – Mark calls this “cursing” the tree Mark 11:21. The word “curse,” as used by him, does not imply “anger,” or disappointment, or malice. It means only “devoting it to destruction,” or causing it to wither away. All the “curse” that was pronounced was in the words “that no fruit should grow on it.” The Jews used the word “curse” not as always implying “wrath or anger,” but to devote to “death,” or to any kind of destruction, Hebrews 6:8. It has been commonly thought that the Saviour performed this miracle to denote the sudden “withering away” or destruction of the Jewish people. They, like the fig-tree, promised fair. That was full of leaves, and they full of professions. Yet both were equally barren; and as that was destroyed, so they were soon to be. It was certain that this would be a good “illustration” of the destruction of the Jewish people, but there is no evidence that Jesus intended it as such, and without such evidence we have no right to say that was its meaning. “And presently the fig-tree withered away.” That is, before another day. See Mark. It is probable that they were passing directly onward, and did not stop then to consider it. Matthew does not affirm that it withered “away in their presence,” and Mark affirms that they made the discovery on the morning after it was “cursed.”

Matthew 21:20
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

And when the disciples saw it – That is, on the morning following that on which it was cursed, Mark 11:20.

They marveled, saying … – Peter said this, Mark 11:21 Matthew means only to say that this was said to him; Mark tells us which one of them said it.

Matthew 21:21
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

Jesus answered and said … – Jesus took occasion from this to establish their faith in God, Mark 11:22

He told them that any difficulty could be overcome by faith. To remove a mountain denotes the power of surmounting or removing any difficulty. The phrase was so used by the Jews. There is no doubt that this was “literally” true – that if “they had the faith of miracles,” they could remove the mountain before them – the Mount of Olives – for this was as easy for God to do by them as to heal the sick or raise the dead. But the Saviour rather referred, probably, to the difficulties and trials which they would be called to endure in preaching the gospel.

Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

And all things … – He adds an encouragement for them to pray, assuring them that they should have all things which they asked.

This promise was evidently a special one, given to them in regard to working miracles. To them it was true, but it is manifest that we have no right to apply this promise to ourselves. It was desired especially for the apostles; nor have we a right to turn it from its original meaning. There are other promises in, abundance on which we “may” rely in prayer, with confident assurance that our prayers will be heard. Compare the notes at Matthew 7:7-11.

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.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Healer, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Jesus (hearing from God), Justice / Judgment, Miracles, Miracles, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Righteous, Salvation, Traditions / Holidays, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Righteous Anger Can Be Productive

After Jesus enters Jerusalem for the Passover feast, and to be crucified, buried and resurrected for our sins, He visits the temple. In Matthew 21, we are reminded that there is such as thing as righteous anger from God against those who profane what He has declared to be holy… to be set aside for His purposes. God is not just love, but is righteous and holy and absolutely feels righteous anger against us when we break His commands and instructions, especially when we know better, or should.

Matthew 21:12-17

12And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den”.

14And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” 17And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

God’s temple is to be set aside as holy, for God’s purposes, not just as market to sell things. So, too are other things which God commands, such as the Sabbath. It is to be set aside to honor God and obey His commands, not profaned or made common by work. God commanded us to celebrate Sabbath on the seventh day of the week from Genesis and reinforced it through the life of Jesus as He did so without fail. (In the Jewish calendar, days start at sundown, so Sabbath actually starts Friday at sundown and ends Saturday at sundown. Sunday was introduced by tradition of men in contradiction to God’s commands.) What God sets apart as holy, we are not to make common. We should keep it holy, whether it is the temple, or the Sabbath, or other things God sets apart as holy.

Notice that Jesus focused the expression of His righteous anger productively. He did not lash out at everyone or everything. He rebuked harshly those doing wrong and then turned and embraced those in need who were seeking Him. He was not out of control.

Jesus, after disrupting the market, welcomed the blind and lame to be healed at the temple. All the chief priests and scribes could do is stand indignant, disregarding the miracles Jesus  performed, and disregarding the truth of who He was. They should have known better, but were unwilling to submit to God when His teaching was different from their traditions of men. They were so blinded by their religion and traditions of men, that theses esteemed and studied scholars of scripture could not recognize Jesus as the Christ and Messiah, even when it was so obvious that even the children could see it. They called out “Hosanna to the Son of David,”.

The chief priests and scribes challenged Jesus that He should deny such a claim, but He did the opposite. He accepted it and rebuked the religious leaders.

Jesus clearly claimed to be the Christ and Messiah. He is not “a good man” or a “good teacher” or a “good prophet”. Jesus Christ is either God, as He claimed, or he is a madman or a liar.  Judaism and Islam have made a significant error in their assessment of Jesus Christ. Jesus is God and to deny Him is to deny the offer of salvation through grace by faith.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to avoid unrighteous anger but also to avoid being complacent in accepting things which are offensive to you. Please help me focus my righteous anger toward productive channels that can help to rebuke wrong and still embrace those who seek you with open arms. If I am rebuked for actions I am doing wrong, please help me not to resist wise correction because of pride or lack courage to change or lack of discernment to see my error. Help me to accept appropriate rebuke from others and make changes in my life. Help me not to miss you and your truth because I am too attached to my traditions and the traditions of family or man. Help me to see and recognize and worship You as the children did in today’s scripture. Father please grant these requests also for all those who are called by Your name. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Faithful, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

To Whom Shall We Turn When Defeat Seems Imminent?

We will all face challenges, and sometimes we as a people or nation may face significant challenges. The enemy is not always a foreign nation. It may be evil and wicked people from within our own nation. They come against the truth of God’s word and the freedom to fully live for God. Of course, for many Christians around the world, it may be very real that it is a militia or military or government intent on killing them for their faith. In the United States we are generally not that far gone yet, but we seem to be trending that direction.

To whom shall we turn when defeat seems imminent. Let’s read 2 Kings 19 and study the historical account of Hezekiah. We read in 2 Kings 18 that he was a righteous king, walking in the ways of the LORD. Do not miss that important scene set. We should always come before our LORD with clean and devoted heart, already repenting for our sins and way of doing things or ready to do so as we seek Him. We should not expect much in response from God if we ask Him for help to continue living in our own sinful ways and ignoring Him or blending what He tells us to do with the traditions of men and idol worship.

When Assyria confronted and was on the verge of overwhelming Hezekiah, he turned wholeheartedly and desperately to Yahweh. He knew the situation was beyond his strength to address.

2 Kings 19

Isaiah Encourages Hezekiah

      1And when King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth and entered the house of the LORD. 2Then he sent Eliakim who was over the household with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. 3They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and rejection; for children have come to birth and there is no strength to deliver. 4‘Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that is left.’” 5So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7“Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”

Sennacherib Defies God

      8Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish. 9When he heard them say concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “Behold, he has come out to fight against you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah saying, 10“Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you saying, “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 11‘Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be spared? 12‘Did the gods of those nations which my fathers destroyed deliver them, even Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? 13‘Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

Hezekiah’s Prayer

      14Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 15Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16“Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. 17“Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands 18and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. 19“Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.”

God’s Answer through Isaiah

      20Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you.’

21“This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him:
‘She has despised you and mocked you,
The virgin daughter of Zion;
She has shaken her head behind you,
The daughter of Jerusalem!

      22‘Whom have you reproached and blasphemed?
And against whom have you raised your voice,
And haughtily lifted up your eyes?
Against the Holy One of Israel!

      23‘Through your messengers you have reproached the Lord,
And you have said, “With my many chariots
I came up to the heights of the mountains,
To the remotest parts of Lebanon;
And I cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypresses.
And I entered its farthest lodging place, its thickest forest.

      24“I dug wells and drank foreign waters,
And with the sole of my feet I dried up
All the rivers of Egypt.”

      25‘Have you not heard?
Long ago I did it;
From ancient times I planned it.
Now I have brought it to pass,
That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

      26‘Therefore their inhabitants were short of strength,
They were dismayed and put to shame;
They were as the vegetation of the field and as the green herb,
As grass on the housetops is scorched before it is grown up.

      27‘But I know your sitting down,
And your going out and your coming in,
And your raging against Me.

      28‘Because of your raging against Me,
And because your arrogance has come up to My ears,
Therefore I will put My hook in your nose,
And My bridle in your lips,
And I will turn you back by the way which you came.

      29‘Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 30‘The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 31‘For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the LORD will perform this.

      32‘Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, “He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it. 33“By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,”’ declares the LORD. 34‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”

      35Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead. 36So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh. 37It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.

Notice that Hezekiah’s prayer focused not only on the needs of the people but also considered the situation from God’s point of view. His name and reputation were being blasphemed by Assyria.

Also, as we can see in the end, God can bring victory or defeat regardless of seemingly overwhelming odds in the eyes of man.

What challenges do you need to bring before Yahweh today relating to you personally, your family, your community, the body of Christ, your state or nation?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, You and you alone are God. There are none like you. Bring me (and your people everywhere) to a point of humility and dependence on you. Help us to turn from our sins and our own ways and embrace your ways fully. Open our eyes to all you would have us do and how you would have us live. Deliver us from the wicked who come against us and against your name. Defeat the wicked and raise up the righteous. Open the eyes of the wicked to convert them so they would become your champions instead of your enemies. Help comfort and protect and lift up your people everywhere. Amen

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Rely on Yahweh Rather than Your Own Power

In the first 13 verses of 2 Kings, we discover that Hezekiah was a righteous king. He did right in the eyes of the LORD. He tore down false idols and long held traditions that were not in keeping with the LORD’s instructions. He walked in the ways of his father David. He trusted in the LORD. The LORD gave him success as a result. Wherever he went the LORD gave him victory. Imagine his surprise when he encountered very real and significant setbacks and defeat at the hands of Assyria when he rebelled against them.

Of course, we can note that there is no reference that the LORD told Hezekiah to revolt against Assyria. Nor is there any reference as we read through 2 kings 18 that Hezekiah called upon the LORD for help against the Assyrians. We could speculate that he likely did because he was a righteous man in all he did, but we must also recognize that he may not have.

In either case, he faces defeat by Assyria. He plunders his own treasury to try to appease them and ultimately they still come to lay siege on Jerusalem. It is ultimately in 2 Kings 19, at a point of absolute desperation, that Hezekiah is noted as seeking the LORD and the LORD responds by granting victory.

As we continue in 2 Kings below, Hezekiah

2 Kings 18:13-37

Invasion of Judah

13Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria marched against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. 14Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent messengers to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong.  Withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will endure.” So the king of Assyria imposed on Hezekiah king of Judah the payment of three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15Hezekiah then gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the doorposts, which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and he gave it to the king of Assyria.

17Then the king of Assyria sent Tartan, Rab-saris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a large army to Jerusalem. So they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they went up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the road of the fuller’s field. 18Then they called to the king, and Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the household, Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the secretary, went out to them.

19And Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: “What is this confidence that you have? 20You say—but they are only empty words—‘I have a plan and strength for the war.’ Now on whom have you relied, that you have revolted against me? 21Now behold, you have relied on the support of this broken reed, on Egypt; on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. That is how Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on him. 22However, if you say to me, ‘We have trusted in the LORD our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’? 23Now then, come make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to put riders on them! 24How then can you drive back even one official of the least of my master’s servants, and rely on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 25Have I now come up without the LORD’S approval against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’”’”

26Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Speak now to your servants in Aramaic, because we understand it; and do not speak with us in Judean so that the people who are on the wall hear you.” 27But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words? Has he not also sent me to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

28Then Rabshakeh stood up and shouted with a loud voice in Judean, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29This is what the king says: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to save you from my hand. 30And do not let Hezekiah lead you to trust in the LORD by saying, “The LORD will certainly save us, and this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” 31Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: “Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat, each one, from his vine and each from his fig tree, and drink, each one, the waters of his own cistern, 32until I come and take you to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees producing oil, and of honey, so that you will live and not die.” But do not listen to Hezekiah, because he misleads you by saying, “The LORD will save us.” 33Has any of the gods of the nations actually saved his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they saved Samaria from my hand? 35Who among all the gods of the lands are there who have saved their land from my hand, that the LORD would save Jerusalem from my hand?’”

36But the people were silent and did not answer him with even a word, because it was the king’s command: “Do not answer him.” 37Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph, the secretary, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they reported to him the words of Rabshakeh.

As I reflect on 2 Kings 18 and 19, I see a message for all of us. It is good for us to walk in the ways of the LORD and reject all others. It is good for us in building relationship with our God and also in inviting His blessing upon us according to His covenant with His people. Even so, we will encounter major challenges and setbacks at times. Yeshua Himself says in Matthew 7:25 that storms will come against us. It is imperative for us to build our foundation on solid relationship and submission to our Father.

24“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and [t]acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell and the [u]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not [v]act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell and the [w]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.”

When the storms came for Hezekiah, it appears he got focused on how to solve the problem in his own power, likely hoping the LORD would deliver victory. When we see he had success is when he came desperately before the LORD, recognizing his own inability to address the situation and asking the LORD to fight for him.

I suppose it is also fair to note that the king of Assyria did himself no favors by blaspheming Yahweh. We should make personal note of that also.

In both cases, remember that no matter how powerful or weak we may be in our own strength, it is ultimately the LORD who brings victory.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me (and all your people) to be humble and submitted to you in all our ways. Show us error and lead us in courage and wisdom to turn from it. Help us build our foundation on the solid rock of your word. Help us to seek and rely on you when we face trials and challenges and defeat. Let us not rely on our own power. Thank you LORD for your hand of blessing for those who submit and obey and walk in your ways. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You alone are God. There are none like you!

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.

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Will We Follow Man’s Ways? or God’s?

We have been reading through 2 Kings about a line of kings who did evil in the LORD’s sight and led the people in false worship. Finally, we get to one who is righteous. Hezekiah becomes king of Judah. As we read through chapter 18-19  we will see that not everything goes his way. He faces significant adversity. However, when he turns to the LORD, He is victorious. As we begin in 2 Kings 18, we can see that the righteousness of Hezekiah is something special compared to all the other kings. We can also directly contrast his success to the failure of Israel, his neighbor, and the Bible clearly specifies that the reason is their refusal to obey God’s covenant with them.

2 Kings 18:1-12

Hezekiah Reigns over Judah

      1Now it came about in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king. 2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. 4He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. 5He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. 6For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses.

Hezekiah Victorious

      7And the LORD was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

      9Now in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. 10At the end of three years they captured it; in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was captured. 11Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and put them in Halah and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded; they would neither listen nor do it.

I would hope that God would think of me as He describes Hezekiah. I aspire to that, but I know I fall short. We should all aspire to that.  He took on great cultural and emotional change and led the people through it. I am sure it was not easy. So many before him failed to do it. I can look in my personal life and see how transitioning from certain sentimental family traditions or cultural norms to focus more and more on following the LORD have been very difficult, even within my own family. We should not make light of his accomplishments and dedication to the LORD based on the assumption it was easy because he was king. I doubt it was easy. People do not easily give up their traditions and false beliefs of generations.

As a result of his righteousness, he was very blessed as was Judah. By contrast, Israel continued to suffer defeat due to their disobedience to God’s covenant.

Do not think of this as some far off historical event that is interesting but not practical. Recognize how this applies in each of our lives today and forever. The principle is seeking to know the LORD and then leave behind whatever separates us from walking in His ways and His commands, no matter how difficult. We must be courageous and put Him first above all. We must be willing to face and overcome conflict and resistance in many different forms.  We must place our faith entirely in our Father’s hands and obey.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to seek you passionately and diligently… to know, love and serve you fully.  Help me to lay down the bad things that are not your ways and help me to have courage and wisdom in conflict. Lead me in your ways and bless me. Please help all those who are called by your name to do likewise so that we would be a body of Christ that truly shines as a light to the world to draw others to you. Let not the traditions of family or men keep us from walking completely in your ways. Raise up righteous leaders and teachers to lead the people. Bring forth workers for the harvest. 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.

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Do Not Mix and Mingle the LORD’s Ways With Those of Other Gods

The LORD is to have a singular place of honor and respect and devotion above all else in our lives. The LORD is not satisfied to be one of your gods that you fear and worship. He is to be “THE” God you fear and worship. It matters to Him that we observe the statutes and ordinances of the Law for ever. As you read 2 Kings, focus on verses 36-39.

36“But the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice. 37“The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods. 38“The covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. 39“But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

Of course, note the context in the broader scripture below. The LORD brought defeat to the people of Israel because they worshipped and feared other gods and did not walk in the ways of His statutes and ordinances. They did evil in His sight. We pick up in verse 24 as the King of Assyria brings in people from outside Israel to populate the land after carrying off the Israelites.

2 Kings 17:24-41

Cities of Israel Filled with Strangers

      24The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from Avva and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So they possessed Samaria and lived in its cities. 25At the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them which killed some of them. 26So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have carried away into exile in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the god of the land; so he has sent lions among them, and behold, they kill them because they do not know the custom of the god of the land.”

      27Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Take there one of the priests whom you carried away into exile and let him go and live there; and let him teach them the custom of the god of the land.” 28So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

      29But every nation still made gods of its own and put them in the houses of the high places which the people of Samaria had made, every nation in their cities in which they lived. 30The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim. 32They also feared the LORD and appointed from among themselves priests of the high places, who acted for them in the houses of the high places. 33They feared the LORD and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile.

      34To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the LORD commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He named Israel; 35with whom the LORD made a covenant and commanded them, saying, “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down yourselves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them. 36“But the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice. 37“The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods. 38“The covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. 39“But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.” 40However, they did not listen, but they did according to their earlier custom. 41So while these nations feared the LORD, they also served their idols; their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this day.

We are to remain a pure and set apart, or holy, people, dedicated to the LORD and His ways. In many ways our church has over the past several thousand years and also continues to blend with the culture and beliefs of those who do not follow Christ. A simple example is those that claim Christ and use the Bible, but then support abortion and homosexuality, which the LORD speaks against very clearly in the Bible. Other examples include the mixing and mingling of Christian concepts and teachings on top of pagan celebrations like Christmas or even Halloween. Instead of being set apart, we blend in. This is not what we are called to do. How can we be a light if we blend in with those around us? How can we be the salt of the earth if we bring no flavor? (Matthew 5:13-16)

By contrast, there is widespread ignorance about the feasts and celebrations the LORD has called us to celebrate, all of which focus on our relationship with Him. (For more on this topic, see our category of page Celebrating God’s Holy Days, which includes a list of resources on this subject.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead me in wisdom and discernment. Help me to joyfully follow you and only you. Grant me a passion to study and learn your ways and the courage to turn from the ways of man in which I am already accustomed even when it creates conflict with those close to me. Help me to share your wonderful ways with others and help them be receptive to learn alongside me. Help all those called by your name around the world to turn from the ways of men and turn toward your ways. Send more workers to help with the harvest. 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.